Silent Atlantis
by Ravenheart3
Summary: Rodney wakes up in a very different Atlantis
1. Chapter 1

Author's Notes: This is the result of playing Silent Hill too much.

**Chapter One**

Rodney woke with a start. He sat up in bed, listening for the sound that woke him.

Nothing.

_Great. I'm hearing things in my sleep. What next?_

Shaking his head, he climbed out of bed and dressed. _Since I'm up anyway, I might as well get some work done._

He waved his hand over the door's controls. The door opened with protest, producing a creaking noise which raked down his spine. He winced and closed his eyes.

The sound stopped and he opened his eyes. Blackness greeted him.

_Did the power go out? Why didn't anyone call me? _

Grumbling, Rodney stepped into the darkness. A pool of dim light flickered every few feet.

The silence unnerved him.

_What the hell is going on? Where is everyone? _

He tapped his earpiece. "This is Dr. McKay, is anyone there? Sheppard? Jennifer?"

The only answer was static.

Determined to get to the bottom of this, he headed toward his lab. He needed to get the lights on. He strode through one of the pools of light and heard something squish under his foot. Heart racing, he lifted his foot and looked down.

_What the hell? _ A red substance covered the bottom of his shoe. _Is that what I think it is?_

He knelt beside the pool and ran a finger through the substance. He sniffed it and a shiver went through him. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

_Did I sleep through a massacre? I need to get the lights on._

He headed for the elevator. The lights of the controls weren't on. Groaning, he took off the panel. Sparks shot from the controls and he jumped back. He glared at the lightless panel.

_Perfect. What else can go wrong? _

Rodney placed the cover back over the panel, spun on his heel, and headed for the stairs.

~*~

Heading down the corridor to his lab, a scraping noise echoed through the darkness. Rodney stopped, his heart pounding in his chest. He looked behind him, but couldn't see a thing.

He shook his head. _Are you an idiot? You can't see anything even if there was something back there._

Ignoring the sound, he hurried toward his lab. Sparks dropped from the ceiling and he ducked to his right, bumping into the wall. The wall felt spongy and he leaped from it, gaping. He reached out, touching the soft, fleshy surface.

_I'm dreaming. This can't be real. _

The scraping reverberated again and Rodney forced his feet forward. _I'm almost there._

The noise grew louder, coming closer. He picked up his pace, sliding to a stop when he reached the doors to his lab. He waved his hand over the controls then cursed when he realized the lights weren't working. Hands shaking, he removed the panel and rearranged the slides until the doors opened. Sighing in relief, he rushed inside. The doors closed behind him. He leaned against them, shutting his eyes.

The scraping stopped. _Oh, thank God. What the hell was that?_

Exhaling slowly, he opened his eyes. The lights flickered and he caught movement deeper into the lab.

"Who's there? Radek?"

His fingers touched a laptop on the table to his right. He picked it up and stepped toward the movement.

Glass crashed to the floor and he jumped. He cursed himself for an idiot. Taking a deep breath, he moved further into the lab. His heart pounded in his ears and he gripped the tablet tighter.

He glanced around the panel. The strobe lights fell on a form, its back to him. Blonde hair fell down the figure's back.

"Sam?"

Rodney took a step closer, reaching out to her. He placed a hand on her shoulder, feeling the solidness beneath his fingers.

She turned in an agonizing slow circle to face him. The light bathed her face then flicked off. In that moment, Rodney stepped back, his heart in his throat, strangling him. The light flashed back on and Sam's bloody mouth opened wide in a silent scream.

~*~

Rodney bolted upright in bed, sweat pouring off his face. He glanced around the room only to find everything in order. He ran his hand over his face and took a deep breath.

_That's the last time I eat before bed. _

He climbed out of bed, grabbed some clean clothes, and headed for the shower. His stomach growled, but he ignored it. There was too much to do and he wanted to get his mind off the nightmare.

Stepping out of the tub, he grabbed a towel and dried off. He kept his mind blank, not wanting to dwell on the images or what they could mean. He tossed the towel onto his bed and quickly dressed.

The door opened normally with a whoosh and he relaxed. People and conversations surrounded him. He took a calming breath and headed for the mess hall. The doors swished open and sunlight poured from the large windows to his left. He grabbed a tray, tossed some food on it, then headed for a table.

He glanced around the room, glad to be surrounded by so many people. The last of the dream faded from his mind. He shook his head and sat down.

"You're up early."

Rodney looked up at Jennifer Keller. She'd pulled her long hair back into a pony tail. His dream flashed before him, but he shoved it into the back of his mind. She sat across from him and opened her bottle of water.

He pierced his eggs with a fork. "I didn't sleep well."

"Bad dreams?"

"The worst." He grabbed his cup of coffee and drank it down, not caring it burned on the way.

He closed his eyes, forcing the dark images from his mind. A warm hand covered his and he looked at Jennifer's concerned face.

"Want to talk about it?"

He scoffed and removed his hand from under hers and dug into his breakfast. "There's nothing to talk about. It was a stupid dream."

"I can see."

Rodney glared at her, but she didn't look away. He grumbled and shoveled eggs into his mouth.

"Ok, you don't want to talk. I can take a hint."

He rolled his eyes, but she only smiled. The beauty of the grin chased away the last visages of the dream, leaving him calm. He returned her smile and relaxed in his seat, letting the nightmare fade away.

~*~

Rodney strode into his lab, ready and excited to get to work. A shiver went through him when he picked up a tablet, but he shoved it aside.

_Stop it! You have better things to do. Bury yourself in work and forget about that ridiculous dream. _

A hand touched his shoulder. He jumped and spun to face Zelenka.

"What the hell are you doing? Are you trying to send me to an early grave? Say something next time!"

Zelenka blinked, but cleared his throat. "Here are the reports from yesterday."

Fighting back a snarl, Rodney snatched the tablet from Radek's hand. He scanned the reports, made a note, then shoved the computer into the other scientist's hand.

"Announce yourself next time."

"Right. I'll just email them."

"Good." Rodney turned back to his tablet, dismissing Zelenka.

"McKay, did you forget about our mission today?"

Rodney closed his eyes and sighed. He pressed his earpiece. "Apparently, since I'm in the lab."

"Well, gear up and get to the gate. Sheppard out."

Gritting his teeth, Rodney tossed the device onto the table, grabbed his laptop, and headed for the armory.

Twenty minutes later, he marched into the Gateroom. Sheppard gave him a self satisfied smirk.

"You get lost?"

Rodney glared at him. "I know this city better than you do, Colonel."

"If you say so."

Sheppard zipped up his jacket, checked his gun then glanced up at the balcony.

"We'll check in in about an hour."

Woolsey nodded. "I'll be waiting for it."

Sheppard turned. "Let's move out."

Rodney followed his team mates through the horizon.

In no time, he stepped through onto another planet. He looked around his surroundings, taking in the trees, the grey sky, the gravel path leading into the forest. An eerie stillness settled over the area.

"Why are we here again?"

Sheppard glanced at him. "Exploring."

"Right, cause we're so bored."

"You can go back." Ronon's irritated voice stopped the banter.

"Let's see where the path goes." Sheppard stepped onto the rocky path.

Rodney sighed and followed after Sheppard. A slight breeze ruffled his hair, bringing a chill with it. He shivered and looked to his right then left. The place was too quiet for his liking.

"It's going to rain," Ronon said behind him.

Rodney rolled his eyes. "Really? Did the grey skies tip you off or was it the ice cold breeze?"

"That's enough, McKay."

"Pardon me for being unsettled by the deathly silence of this place."

Sheppard cast a glance at him. "Did you get up on the wrong side of the bed?"

Rodney narrowed his eyes. "Yeah, that's it. I got up on the wrong side of the bed."

Another breeze blew across them, even colder than the first. Rodney pulled his leather jacket tighter around him. The rustling of the leaves seemed to sound more like a moan. He looked up at them as they entered the forest.

"Looks like this path hasn't been used in awhile."

He stared at Sheppard's back. "What makes you say that?"

"The grass is growing through it."

"You don't say? I wouldn't have guessed that."

"Did anyone bring the duct tape?"

"Oh, very funny."

"Can I hit him?"

Rodney turned a glare at Ronon. "Just try it."

Ronon smiled and twirled his gun. Rodney cleared his throat and turned back around. He nearly ran into Sheppard, who had stopped. Glancing around the Colonel, he saw nothing to give Sheppard pause.

"What is it?"

"I thought I saw something up ahead."

A chill went through him and he couldn't blame it on the wind. He brought out his laptop and turned it on.

"I'm going to check for life signs. We should have done this before we even started this trek."

"Now, who's stating the obvious?"

Rodney rolled his eyes, but said nothing. The time for ridiculing each other was over. They needed to know what they were up against, if there was anything out there.

The computer beeped. "Ah, finally. Checking for life signs."

He tapped a few keys and the screen showed him four dots, but nothing else.

"We're the only life signs for several miles in all directions."

"Then what the hell did I just see?"

Rodney didn't have an answer. He looked back at the screen and the four small dots. It wasn't rare for them to come across a planet with no life, but something about it bothered him this time.

The wind seemed to whisper to him, wrapping itself around him. He shook the feeling away.

"Let's keep moving."

Rodney couldn't argue with that. Sheppard picked up the pace, but avoided breaking into a run. A light mist began to fall, making the dismal surroundings even more so.

"If there's not a haunted house at the end of this path, I'll be very disappointed."

Rodney rolled his eyes. "You watch too many horror movies. There's nothing here."

"The life signs detector doesn't pick up ghosts, Rodney."

"I know that."

Movement from the corner of his eye caught his attention. He drew his gun, aiming it at the forest. His eyes scanned the vegetation. His heart pounded in his chest. He glanced at the screen, but saw nothing.

"You were saying?"

"Shut up, Sheppard. Maybe they're wearing something that can't be picked up."

Sheppard aimed his P-90 at the trees. "You hope."

He glanced sideways at the Colonel, but said nothing. He knew what Sheppard meant and he couldn't help, but agree. Out here in this galaxy anything could happen.

"Let's find the ending to this damn path."

Sheppard continued along the now overgrown pathway. Rodney kept his eyes on the computer screen, but nothing appeared along with their dots. Frustration grew inside him. They weren't imagining the movements, but the shadows didn't stay still for identification.

_This is getting annoying. Something's out there. Maybe Sheppard's right and they are ghosts._

At that thought, he shook his head. Ghosts didn't exist, even in this galaxy. There had to be another explanation.

"Maybe it's some kind of technology doing this." He tapped on the keys to bring up another program to search for advanced technology.

He looked up to offer a smug smile, but Sheppard wasn't there. The icy fingers of fear worked its way up his spine. He looked behind him only to find Ronon and Teyla weren't there. His pulse raced through his veins. When the compute peeped, he jumped.

"Nothing. Great." He slapped his computer closed and turned in a complete circle. "Sheppard! Come out of the tree. This isn't funny."

Only the wind answered.

"Perfect." Rodney jogged down the path, hoping to catch up to the others.

After a few minutes of running, he didn't see the others. He slowed to a walk, breathing heavily. He took a large gulp of air and looked behind him.

_I should have caught to them by now. Maybe I should head to the gate and report them missing. _

Rustling caught his attention and he turned, his gun aimed at the bushes. The mist had turned into a sprinkle, the cold drops landing on his head. He'd almost forgot about the chill.

"Sheppard?" He closed his eyes on a groan. Isn't this how horror movies began?

Grumbling, he headed down the path, ignoring the nagging feeling that something was wrong. He needed to find the others and get back to the gate. This place was a bust and too creepy for words. He wanted to relax in a nice warm bath and a cup of coffee.

He turned left at the bend in the path and stopped short. His mouth dropped open at the sight of the gate.

He looked behind him. _What the hell? How did that happen?_

Rodney hurried toward the gate, but drew up short when he spotted the DHD. Vines grew up from the ground, covering the device. Rust and more vines covered the actual gate. It appeared to not have been used in decades.

_No, no, no, no. This can't be happening. Get a hold of yourself. _

He placed his tablet back in his backpack then jogged toward the DHD. He quickly removed the vines off the surface. He scanned the buttons. Most were missing, while others were broken. He groaned.

_Maybe this is a different Stargate. I should head back to the other one. _

Rodney spun to head back and came face to face with something from a nightmare. A deformed figure with long white hair stood a few feet from him. His heart dropped to his stomach.

It began walking toward him, black blood dripped from its body. Garbled noises came from the creature. It reached toward him, the slit in its grey palm snarled.

"Oh, hell."

Rodney pulled out his gun and emptied his ammo into the twisted Wraith. It kept coming.

He scrambled away from the DHD and raced toward the tree line. He tripped, stumbled in an attempt to catch his balance, then landed face first into the ground.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, except this story.

**Chapter Two**

Rodney woke with a headache. Placing a hand on his head, he groaned and slowly sat up. A strange smell wafted to his nose. He opened his eyes to blurry vision. He blinked until his vision cleared.

Darkness surrounded him. Cold wrapped itself around him and he shivered.

A dim light to his left caught his attention. He shoved himself off the bed and headed toward it. He drew closer to the light and the smell grew stronger. He recognized the smell and he stopped. His hand went to his gun only to realize he didn't have it. He closed his eyes on a groan.

_I must have dropped it. Did I really see that thing?_

Shaking his head to clear the image, he stepped toward the luminosity. It grew brighter with each step. He squinted and caught movement inside the room. He raised his hand in an attempt to see.

"Hello? Jennifer?"

A screech caused him to jump backward. He stumbled over his feet and landed on his butt. His heart pounded in his ears. He wished he had his gun.

Scrambling to his feet, he heard footsteps coming toward him. He looked up and his jaw dropped.

The smell of blood overwhelmed him as the creature strode closer. It was thin, its tan skin stretched tightly over its body. Its face was contorted in a silent scream, its eyes glowed yellow. It lifted long arms to reach toward him.

"Oh, come on!"

Its shriek pierced his ears. He covered his ears and backed away from the creature, narrowing his eyes in pain. He bumped into a bed, sending it clattering away. He glanced behind him. Dried blood covered the mattress.

_I was lying on that!_

Gagging, Rodney turned away to face the monster shuffling toward him. Without a gun, he couldn't defend himself. Then again, the thing walked so slowly, he could get away easily. He stared at it, raising an eyebrow.

"I've seen elderly people move faster than you."

Suddenly, the thing lunged, sending Rodney's pulse through the roof. He scrambled back, keeping his eyes on the creature. Another screech reverberated beside him. The monster's twin shuffled out between two blood covered beds.

"Look at that, it's a party now."

Rodney backed away, looking for something to use as a weapon. The only thing within grabbing distance was a tray full of rusty surgical instruments. He snatched it from the small table and slammed it into the creature's head. It shrieked, but stumbled to the side. He hit it again until the tray bent backwards.

Growling, he used the pointed end of the bent tray and sliced the monster's head open. Blood poured from the wound and he took a step back. The other creature jumped forward, but still wasn't close enough to attack.

The wounded monster fell to the bloody floor. It shrieked one last time then went still. Breathing hard, he stared at the remaining monster.

"What the hell are you?"

Gurgling was the only answer.

He threw the tray at the creature, hitting the thing in the head. It kept coming.

_This is insane. _

He turned and ran through the infirmary. He stopped at the door. Grumbling, he waved his hand over the controls.

Nothing.

"Come on, you stupid thing."

Cursing under his breath, he removed the cover and worked on getting the controls functioning again. Finished, he placed the cap back on and the door opened.

He raced into the darkness, the doors sliding shut behind him.

Rodney only ran a few feet when he realized he couldn't see a thing. He turned around, trying to find a source of light, but saw nothing. Taking a deep breath, he concentrated on listening. Banging on the infirmary doors urged him forward.

_Maybe I should try for the Gateroom and get out of here. _

Not bothering to try the elevator again, he headed down the stairs. He hurried through the corridors and up another flight of stairs. He reached the control room, glad to see the consoles were lit up.

_Thank goodness for small favors_.

He came around one of the consoles, glanced at the gate, then began punching in an address. The gate didn't activate and he narrowed his eyes.

_What now?_

Frustrated, he moved over to one of the computers and turned it on. He glared at the screen, willing it to come on. The screen flickered then turned black.

"Damn it!" Rodney slammed the top down.

Clicking caught his attention. He looked around, but saw nothing. The sound grew louder. An unpleasant idea crossed his mind. Groaning, he looked down at the dirty floor.

A large black insect crawled quickly across the floor toward his feet. His heart leaped into his throat and he hurried backward. It picked up its pace, a small shriek emitted from it. A ripple of unease crawled over his spine.

"Oh, shi-!"

A gunshot reverberated through the room and the insect exploded, sending green goo splashing the consoles.

Rodney looked up, blinking.

"I hate bugs."

Rodney relaxed, slumping against the console. Sheppard stepped into the light, his handgun pointed downward.

"I'm really glad to see you."

Sheppard looked around as if searching for more insects. He looked at Rodney, a haunted look in his eyes.

"What the hell is this place?"

Rodney scoffed. "Hell if I know."

"That's a good enough guess for me. Let's get out of here. Is the gate working?"

He turned toward the DHD and pressed a few buttons. When nothing happened, he shook his head.

"No. I can fix it, but I can't tell you how long it'll take."

"Leave it. We need to get you a gun and more ammo."

Rodney nodded and followed Sheppard out into the hallway.

~*~

Rodney strapped the holster on his right thigh then shoved the 9mm into the holder. Sheppard tossed him a P-90 and he caught it without trouble.

"Do you have any idea what those things are out there?"

"I have as much idea as you do. Which is nothing."

"Great."

"How'd you get here anyway? The last thing I remember is you vanishing in the middle of a forest."

Sheppard checked the bullets in his gun then shoved it in the holster. "I have no idea. The last thing I remember is a sudden chill then I wake up on the floor out there."

He turned on the light to the P-90 and led the way back out into the corridor. Rodney turned on his light, keeping his eyes and ears open for creatures coming up behind. His light revealed the flesh covered walls.

_Am I really seeing this?_ He narrowed his eyes. The walls seemed to be breathing while blood dripped from down the surface.

"Come on, McKay!"

Rodney shook his head, turned and followed after Sheppard. Their footsteps echoed through the silence, making it difficult to hear anything else.

"We should head to my lab. See what the hell is going on. Maybe even turn on the damn lights."

"Good idea."

"Don't bother trying the elevators. They don't work."

They headed down the stairs and through several corridors without incident. Rodney began to relax, even take in his surroundings with a scientific eye. He ran his fingers over the flecks of paint on the pillars he passed. They crackled under his touch and fell to the floor. The floor, normally red-brown, looked a deep crimson.

_I hope I'm not walking in blood. _

The scraping returned. His blood ran cold. He spun, aiming his P-90 in the darkness. Nothing.

"Did you hear that?"

Silence.

"Sheppard?" He turned to come face to face with figure dressed in red and black. He aimed the gun at the shape. The light bathed the figure's face in brightness. Dark brown hair fell in tangles over the creature's head. Its wide mouth curved in a wicked grin, showing rows of sharp teeth.

"I'm really getting sick of this."

The creature stepped toward him, reaching toward him. "Rodney."

His stomach sank and a cold chill squeezed his heart. "Elizabeth."

Overcome with grief and horror, he stared at her, his pulse pounding in his ears. He couldn't believe what he saw. He didn't know what to do. His feet wouldn't take him away from the figure before him. He fire upon her, even though his brain told him it wasn't Elizabeth.

She closed the gap between them. He stared into her green eyes, ignoring the bloody scratches dripping down her pale features. A cold hand touched his chest, sending a jolt through him. He felt himself grow weak and that pushed him into action. Narrowing his eyes, he fired.

A scream tore through the city. Rodney continued to shoot until the creature fell on its back. He put two more bullets into her just to make sure.

Taking a deep breath, he looked around his surroundings.

_Where the hell did Sheppard go?_

Irritated, Rodney stomped down the corridor to his lab. He came to the doors, but they wouldn't open. Gritting his teeth, he worked the panel until the doors whooshed open. He went inside, half expecting to see another creature waiting. The lab was empty.

He headed for the nearest computer and turned it on. "Let's see what's going on here."

He placed the gun on the table then turned on another computer. He went back to the first and tapped some keys. The screen came on, almost blinding him. He blinked a few times then got to work. He pulled up a program to check for life signs then moved to the other laptop to scan the database for anything relating to what happened to Atlantis.

The life signs showed only him. He gaped at the screen then had it search again.

"I saw John. He talked to me. How can he not be real?"

The second computer beeped, getting his attention. He moved to it and brought up the results.

A heavy object crashed to the floor behind him. He grabbed his P-90, spun around, aiming the gun's flashlight into the darkness. He scanned his surroundings, the light revealing broken computers and equipment, a red substance covering everything, and a figure moving in the shadows. He directed the light toward the movement.

"I see you. Come out."

Footsteps squished behind the wall of computers. He swallowed and raised his gun higher. He narrowed his eyes for a better aim.

The wet footsteps grew louder and the figure moved out from behind the computer. The light fell on the being. It didn't have a face, but a long red tongue fell from a slit where a mouth should be. Water dripped down its tumor covered body, pooling around its feet.

"Oh, this is getting redundant. Don't you monsters have anything better to do? Someone else to bother?"

The beast shrieked and charged. Rodney opened fire, not letting the thing get close to him. The creature jerked, screamed, then fell to the floor.

He stared at the body, his heart hammering. The urge to kick it came over him, but he ignored it. He took a deep breath to calm himself then turned back to the results.

White light and pain exploded in his head and he fell to the ground.

~*~

A gentle, but cold breeze, coaxed Rodney to consciousness. He groaned and opened his eyes. He stared up at a grey sky. A drizzle fell on his face and he blinked away the water. He forced himself to a sitting position and looked around his surroundings. He was obviously back on the planet.

_How did I get here?_

He ran a hand over his face and sighed. Where were the others? He pressed his earpiece only to receive a piercing ring in answer. He ripped it off and tossed it to the side. He glared at it then shoved it in the pocket of his jacket.

Forcing himself to his feet, he found himself back on the gravel path in the middle of the first.

_Was I here the entire time? Am I going crazy?_

He shook his head and headed down the path back toward the gate. He didn't know where the others were, but he needed to return to Atlantis.

_I'll bring back a search team and find them. _

"McKay!" The sound of his name caused him to jump. He spun around, weapon aimed, heart pounding.

"Put that down before you shoot someone."

Rodney sighed in relief and lowered his gun. "Where the hell have you been?"

"Where have you been?" Sheppard hurried toward him, Ronon and Teyla following behind. "We were looking everywhere for you."

He blinked at the trio in astonishment. They'd been looking for him? Did he really go to that strange version of Atlantis? He didn't want to dwell on it. All he wanted was to get back to reality and fast.

"Did you find anything at the end of the path?" He wanted to know if they found the ruined DHD and gate.

Sheppard shook his head. "There's not much, but an old abandoned village. I think the Wraith wiped them out centuries ago."

Rodney rolled his eyes. "Then let's get back before I catch a cold."

"You catch a cold everywhere we go." Ronon strode by him, spinning his gun.

"In this weather, anyone can catch a cold."

Sheppard patted him on the back. "Don't antagonize the Wookie."

He flung his arms out, but followed. The images of what he'd seen still in his mind. Was Sheppard really there with him or did his mind conjure him up to protect his sanity? He really didn't want to know, but he did want to know what the hell was happening to him.

_I found something in the database, maybe there _is_ something there. I'm going to find out and nothing is going to stop me this time._


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Rodney stepped through the gate and took a deep breath. He glanced around his surroundings, glad to be back in the real Atlantis.

Woolsey came down the steps to greet them. He placed his hands behind his back. "Find anything?"

"Found how to waste our time." Ronon shoved his gun in its holster and left the group.

Woolsey turned back to them. "Seriously."

Teyla stepped forward. "We should not return to that planet. There is nothing there of interest."

Woolsey nodded. "That answers that. I'm still going to need to some reports."

"They'll be on your desk tomorrow." Sheppard pushed passed him. "Right now, I want to take a shower."

"You're all in a talkative mood."

Rodney rolled his eyes. "You can't expect us to go on and on about nothing."

He followed after Sheppard and Ronon before Woolsey had a chance to say anything else. He barely left the Gateroom when Sheppard and Ronon stepped in front of him. They blocked his path, staring at him as if he blew up another solar system.

"What?"

"What the hell happened on that planet, Rodney? One minute you're behind me, the next you're gone. We went up and down that path twice searching for you."

"We even searched that village," Ronon put in.

Rodney shook his head. "You disappeared right in front of me. I looked for you until I saw that ruined gate. Then a deformed Wraith attacked me."

Sheppard blinked at him. "A deformed Wraith?"

He was surprised his eyes hadn't fallen out of his head with the amount of rolling them he did. He folded his arms across his chest and leveled a glare at them.

"Yeah. Its hand literally had a mouth that snapped at me."

Sheppard stared at him as if he spoke another language. "We looked everywhere and didn't see a Wraith, deformed or otherwise."

"I can't explain it, but I'm going to find out." He shoved passed the two and headed for his lab.

~*~

He strode into his lab and headed for his laptops. He turned them on, tapping his foot with impatience.

"Maybe it was a screwed up Ancient experiment."

The screens came up and Rodney's fingers flew across the keyboard of one of the computers. He smiled as the program began its scan. He moved to the next laptop.

"Did you even go on the mission?"

Rodney jumped and spun to face Zelenka. Once the surprise faded, he narrowed his eyes at Radek.

"I'm going to put a bell on you." He turned back to the computers. "Don't you have something else to do?"

"Yes. It's called giving a report."

He sighed, forcing calmness into his body. He didn't have a reason to snap at Zelenka. The man always annoyed him even in the best of times. It was the strange dreams and mission getting to him.

Rodney turned back to face Zelenka and leaded against the table. "Sorry. I didn't sleep well."

Zelenka handed the tablet over. "We can't get one of the devices to turn on."

Rodney scanned the reports. "Figures."

"We were able to get some data off Ancient credit card."

His lips curved in a half smile at the memory of finding the device. Small and rectangular, the thing resembled a credit card. He couldn't help, but make the remark.

"What'd your find?" He pulled up the report on the card and read through it.

"We're analyzing information now."

"And the third one doesn't even work." He handed the tablet back to Zelenka then turned back to the laptops.

"What are you doing?"

He glanced at the other scientist over his shoulder then back to the screens. He didn't know if he should tell Radek about his experience. He didn't want to be labeled crazy, but then he could use another pair of eyes.

"I'm trying to see if the Ancients conducted a screwed up psychological experiment."

"Why do you want to know?"

Rodney stared at him then sighed. He leaned against the table and folded his arms across his chest. He might as well tell the man everything.

"I had a nightmare where I woke up in an abandoned Atlantis that was covered in blood and rust. Nothing worked and there were deformed creatures everywhere."

Zelenka's eyebrows shot to his hair line. "Why would the Ancients want to run an experiment like that?"

Rodney shook his head. "When I went to the planet, the others vanished and when I tried to find them, I saw a deformed Wraith. Sheppard told me, _I_ was the one that disappeared. They found me on the path they'd searched twice."

"What kind of experiment is this?"

"I have no idea, but if it's in the database, I'll find it."

"Have you checked yourself?"

Rodney's eyes widened at the thought. A chill went through him at the idea something found its way into his mind, making him see strange things. Not bothering to answer, he raced out of the lab and headed for the infirmary.

_If Jennifer could scan my brain, maybe I can get some answers. _

He burst into the infirmary ten minutes later. He scanned the room for Jennifer, then raced across the room into the second room. He found her at her computers.

"Dr. Keller."

She turned to face him. Her face brightened into a smile when he stepped closer to her.

"Rodney. What's the problem this time?"

Problem didn't begin to describe it. "I need you to scan my brain."

She blinked at him. "Why? Are you all right?"

Jennifer brought out a pin light and shined it into his eyes. He winced at the brightness, but let her perform the test. Maybe she could find a sign that something was wrong.

"I think I'm seeing things and I'm having the most realistic nightmares."

"I thought we took care of that entity a year ago."

Rodney shook his head. "I don't think that what this is."

She sighed motioned for him to lie down on the scanning bed. "I don't know what you think I'll find, but I'll try."

"Thanks." He lied down on the bed and took a deep breath. He watched her as she programmed the device to scan his head. He closed his eyes, hoping she'd find something and could remove it. He didn't want to dwell on what else it could be.

_Better it be some organism causing the visions than going insane because of an Ancient experiment._

The machine hummed as it scanned him. He tried to relax, let his cares wash away. His natural impatience, though wouldn't let him.

"Are you done?"

Jennifer's humor filled voice pierced his negativity. "Just one more moment. Hold you horses."

"My horses are being strangled."

She laughed sending a shiver of awareness through him. He opened his eyes as the machine stopped.

"Done." She looked at him and smiled.

Rodney shoved himself off the bed. "Great. How long until the results?"

"If you think you can stand over there for a couple of moments, I'll get right on it."

He half-heartily rolled his eyes, but moved to the side. He watched her tap on the keyboard, her brow creased in concentration. A stirring began in his groin becoming more uncomfortable by the minute. He sat down on the bed behind him.

"You might want to see this."

The tone in her voice didn't give him any comfort. Unease settled in his stomach, tightening into a tight knot. Sighing, he jumped off the bed and strode over to her. He looked over her shoulder, trying not to crowd her.

Rodney stared at the scans of his brain. They looked normal. Thinking what he looked for was small, he squinted.

"I don't see anything."

"Exactly. There's nothing there, Rodney. You're clean."

Rodney closed his eyes on a groan. That only left the experiment, cause he didn't believe he was going insane.

"You should be happy. There's not a signal thing wrong with your brain. You're completely healthy."

He stared at her and her smile faded. "Then that just leaves the Ancients' experiment. If that's what the hell is causing these nightmares and visions."

Jennifer placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. He closed his eyes, wanting to bask in her nearness.

"I can give you something to help."

He shook his head. "No, but thanks. I'll figure out what is doing this and put a stop to it."

She smiled and patted his chest. "I'm here if you need me."

He returned the smile then turned and left the infirmary. Hopefully, his computer found something in the database. He headed toward his lab when his stomach growled. He groaned.

_I can't stop and eat now. I need to figure this out. _

His stomach growled again and he grumbled. Sneering, he headed for the mess hall.

He entered the cafeteria, grabbed a tray, and placed a sandwich upon it. He picked up a bottle of water and looked for a table. Spotting Sheppard near the windows, he strode toward him. 

"You learn anything?" Sheppard asked the moment Rodney sat down.

"I'm thinking it's an experiment the Ancients conducted. I'm searching the database right now. I even went to the infirmary and had my head scanned."

Sheppard smirked. "Really?"

Rodney glared at him. "I'm clean of entities and parasites."

"Well, that's good."

He picked up his sandwich, giving it a once over before taking a bite.

"I just need to learn why the Ancients did this experiment and what happened."

"You really think it's an experiment?"

He narrowed his eyes at the Colonel. "What else could it be?"

Sheppard leaned back in his chair and took a sip of his water bottle. He didn't say anything.

"I'm not crazy."

"I'm not saying that. I can't explain what happened on that planet either."

"You were in one of my nightmares. When I was on that planet, I ended up back on Atlantis and you were there. You said you woke up outside the Gateroom."

Sheppard shook his head. "Wasn't me. I was too busy searching for you."

Rodney ran a hand over his face. He shouldn't have expected anything different. The entire incident had been in his mind. Still, how could he have disappeared before the others and they not even find him until he woke up on the path. It didn't make any sense.

"I need to get back to the lab_."_

"Computer calling you?"

"Very funny." He picked up his empty tray and headed for the exit.

Strolling into the lab, he headed for the computers. Excitement bubbled inside him at the thrill of learning something new about the Ancients and their city. He pulled up the screen and scrolled through the database.

After a few minutes, his eyes narrowed and his smile faded. There wasn't anything in the database pertaining to his nightmares. His stomach sank and he closed his eyes.

"Find anything?"

"No," Rodney growled. "There's no experiment in the database even remotely like what I'm going through."

He pushed himself from the table and glared at Radek. The frustration began to boil inside him, but he held it back. He had no reason to yell at Zelenka, no matter how much he wanted to.

"Maybe they erased it."

"That's what I thought, so I had another computer search through every database in this city. Nothing."

The urge to hit something rode him, but he refrained. What the hell was happening to him? Why was it happening? He needed answers, but they were all out of reach.

_If there are any answers. _

"What did Dr. Keller find?"

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Nothing. I'm clean."

"Maybe its just nightmares."

He scoffed. _I wish._ "I wasn't asleep when that Wraith attacked me."

"Then maybe you should start looking somewhere else for answers."

He folded his arms across his chest and cocked his head to the side. "Where should I start looking then? Psychics? A shrink?"

Zelenka shrugged then turned to go back to his own work.

Rodney sighed, irritation sparking his temper. Growling, he pushed away from the table and left his lab. As much as he hated it, he needed help outside science.

_You can't get much more outside science than Teyla. I just hope she'll help me. _


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

Rodney stood outside Teyla's door, debating whether to knock or not. He didn't know how to ask for her help without coming across as insane. Walking here was difficult enough. He almost turned around twice, but needing to get to the bottom of this mess trumped his discomfort.

Taking a deep breath, he knocked.

"Come in."

He waved his hand over the controls and the door swished open. Teyla turned from the crib in the corner of the room and her eyes opened wide. She cleared her throat and motioned for him to enter.

"What do you need, Rodney?"

He stepped inside, the door closing behind him. He placed his hands behind his back the nervousness overpowering. His face grew warm. What he wanted to say fled his mind. All he could do was stare at her.

"Is something wrong?"

He blinked and shook his head. _Ask her, damn it! _

"I need your help. I'm having nightmares even when I'm awake. I need to know why and how this is happening to me."

Teyla turned and strode to her bed. She sat on it. "I don't know how I can help you."

He stepped closer, desperation forcing the words out. "I tried searching through the database. I even had Jennifer scan my head. Both came up negative. If the Ancients didn't create an experiment and it's not an organism and I'm not crazy, what is it?"

Teyla sighed. "What do you want me to do?"

"Help me mediate. If I can control the incidents then maybe I can find something that'll tell me why this is happening."

She stared at him for a moment before she shook her head. "I do not think that's a good idea. Forcing yourself to have these visions might make them worse."

"They're already getting worse. I need to put a stop to them. I need your help. Please."

She stared at him and he began to feel she'd deny him. His heart threatened to burst out of his chest and his stomach coiled into a tight ball.

"All right. Lie on the bed." She moved off the bed and motioned for him to lie down.

"Thank you."

"I hope you know what you're doing."

Rodney didn't want to tell her he had no idea, but he was all out of ideas. He got himself as comfortable as possible on the bed and closed his eyes.

"If anything happens, wake me up."

"I will. Don't worry, you're safe."

_You wouldn't say that if you knew what I've been going through. _

He took a deep breath and listened to Teyla's soft voice coaxing him into relaxation. All thoughts left his mind and his heart rate slowed until he feared he might fall asleep. It was then he noticed Teyla stopped talking.

"Teyla?"

Silence.

Rodney opened his eyes to find himself alone in the room. The curtains around the bed were tattered. He looked around him and noticed he lay on a bloody mattress. He leaped off the bed, unease tightening inside him. The candles on the table to his right were melted and covered with a substance he didn't want to know about.

A baby cried, breaking the tension in the room. He looked at the crib, the rotten wood threatening to break apart. His heart thudded. The crying grew louder, compelling him to step forward.

_Damn it. _ Rodney strode toward the crib and the crying stopped. Taking a deep breath, he looked inside.

A blanket of an unidentifiable color rested inside the crib. He picked it up, but nothing else lay inside. Sighing, he dropped the blanket into the messy crib and turned.

A black blur leaped at him, snarling. He had just enough time to duck and roll out of the way. The creature crashed into the crib, sending decayed wood flying. He jumped over the bed and headed for the door.

It didn't open.

"Figures."

A low growl vibrated behind him, grabbing his insides in an icy grip. He closed his eyes, not wanting to turn around. He didn't want to know what was in the room with him.

The growl grew closer and he slowly turned around. His breath left his lungs in rapid bursts. The creature in front of him looked like a skinned dog, blood oozed from numerous wounds.

_How the hell is that thing still alive? _

He backed up against the door, searching for something to use as a weapon. His gaze fell on the wooden sticks Teyla used to spar with. He looked back at the dog and inched his way toward the table.

"Good doggy. Stay right there. I'm just going to move over here."

The dog snarled and moved closer to him. It didn't seem to have any eyes, but it knew exactly where he was.

_Maybe it can smell me. _

He inched along the wall until he was in reaching distance of the table. The weapons seemed to gleam in the dim light of the room. He progressed closer to the table and reached for the sticks.

The dog roared and jumped toward him. At the same time, he grabbed the weapons and slammed them into the creature's head. It yelped and fell to the floor.

He jumped over the dog and headed for the door. To his surprise, the door whooshed open. Not questioning it, he rushed out of the room and leaned against the wall. He gulped in air, trying to calm himself down.

Rodney closed his eyes and bent over, trying to get air into his lungs.

"What the hell was that?"

He ran a hand through his hair then forced his feet forward. The darkness engulfed him and he cursed himself.

_I should have grabbed a flashlight in there._

He wasn't about to go back in the room. There was no telling what would take the dog's place. Or if he even killed the thing.

He had no idea where he was going, but maybe this nightmare held the answers he wanted. Nothing in the real world told him what was going on. Maybe this one would. At least, he hoped so.

_Back to the lab. _

Letting eyes adjust to the darkness, he spotted a figure moving toward him. He watched it, his grip tightening on the wooden weapons in his hand. He cautiously stepped toward the stairs.

Shuffling footsteps came to his ears and he figured he could race to the stairway before the thing reached him.

He made a break for the staircase, but stopped short when a dark figure came up them. He backed away from the stairs, the weapons raised. He watched in stunned horror as the shadow came into view.

A strange light emitted from its mouth casting a glow over a body that seemed made out of fog. It didn't have any arms to speak of. It stumbled toward him. The orifice opened wide and a piercing scream shattered the quiet. He covered his ears, nearly dropping the practice sticks. Rodney backed away only to hit something behind him. He spun to face a similar creature only this one was taller.

Without waiting to see what it'd do, Rodney swung one of the sticks, colliding with monster's side. It grunted and stumbled to the side. He stepped to the side and slammed the other weapon into the creature's back. It screamed and fell to its knees.

The shorter twin wobbled toward him, its glowing mouth growing wider.

"Wait your turn." He brought both sticks down on the taller monster's head. The head caved in, sending a dark substance spilling over the sides of the hole. He stepped back, staring at the fluid pouring over the body and onto the floor.

_Oh, that is sick. _

The first creature continued to step toward him, ignoring its fallen companion. He turned his attention to the beast and readied himself for an attack.

"Let's go."

A high pitch howl echoed through the city. The fog monster stopped in its tracks and trembled. He stared at it and cocked his head to the side.

"You're afraid of something. Interesting."

The howl echoed for a long time and the creature backed away from him. It turned and headed back down the stairs. He watched it until the thing vanished. He turned around in a circle, waiting for something else to attack him.

The howling stopped. The stillness ruled again. He shivered.

_I need to find a way out of here and put a stop to this. _

He hurried down the stairs, hoping the creature was long gone. He didn't want to run into it again on such a small space.

He reached the bottom without incident and rushed down the corridors to his lab. A door flew open on his right and he skidded to a stop. He turned, weapons ready.

A flashlight blinded him.

"For crying out loud! Turn that damn thing off. What are you trying to do, blind me?"

"Nice to see you too, Rodney."

The light dimmed and he opened his eyes to find Sheppard standing in front of him. He narrowed his eyes, not believing what he saw.

"What are you doing here?"

"I have no idea. I don't even know how I got here."

Suspicion nagged at Rodney, but he wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. He'd need all the help he could get.

"Let's get to the lab. I think all the answers are there."

Sheppard took the led, lighting the way in the shadows. Scraping as if metal was being dragged along the ground echoed in the blackness and Rodney spun half expecting a monster to be behind him. Only darkness greeted him.

"You hear that?"

"Yes. Just keep moving."

Rodney's pulse raced, but he forced himself to ignore the noise. It seemed to come from all around.

"What is making that noise?"

"Stop worrying about it. It's bad enough there's monsters jumping out of the shadows. We don't need to worry about the strange noises coming from nowhere."

"Thanks. I needed another reason to hate this place."

"You're welcome."

Rodney rolled his eyes, but kept close to Sheppard. They weren't far from the lab and the answers he sought. Hopefully, the lab was empty of creatures this time and he'd be able to pull up the database.

A scream rent the darkness and he jumped. He spun around, feeling foolish. He couldn't see a damn thing.

Sheppard grumbled. "This is getting annoying."

"No, really?"

"You're not helping."

The doors to the lab were on their left. Sheppard stepped to one side of them while he went to work on getting the doors opened. To his surprise, the doors whooshed open before he even touched the panel. He stared in surprise.

"Well, look at that."

Sheppard aimed the flashlight into the lab, the light revealing broken computers and rusted shelves. The place was devoid of monsters, though.

"Get inside. Quick."

Rodney ducked inside followed by Sheppard. The doors slid shut, banging in the silence. He took a deep breath to calm himself and headed for the computers. Thankfully, they were still on.

"Right. Let's see what it found."

He brought up the screen on his right and sighed in relief. It showed two life signs, both in the lab.

_That's good news. Now to the database._

He turned to the computer on the left and pressed a key to bring up the database. Words scrolled over the screen and he sat down to scan through them.

"There's a lot here."

"Well find the important stuff and let's get out of here. I don't like this. It's too quiet."

Rodney shook his head and went through the information. One thing was clear as he read through it. "This isn't Ancient."

"Then what's it doing in the database?"

"Maybe they came across it and added it for study. It doesn't mention anything about experiments."

"Then what the hells is going on?"

He had no idea, but he didn't think he could go through all this in such a short time. A creature could appear at any moment. He could wake up and lose all he found.

A bang echoed through the lab. He jumped out of his chair, grabbing the sticks from the table. He glared at the doors.

"Sounded like something tossed a body against the doors."

Rodney looked at Sheppard. "Oh, let's try to scare me some more for fun."

Sheppard aimed his P-90 at the doors and slowly stepped toward them. Rodney's heart leaped into his throat.

"I wouldn't do that."

Sheppard motioned for him to be quiet. He closed the gap and another bang had him stumbling back.

"I warned you."

"Shhh."

Rodney rolled his eyes and looked back at the screen. He sighed and sat back down.

_Might as well keep looking. _

Two bangs resonated through the lab and Rodney looked up. Sheppard wasn't there.

"Oh, for crying out loud!"

Grumbling in irritation, Rodney grabbed a flash drive, stuck it in the slot, and typed in a command to copy the information to the drive. He watched it work, trying to ignore the banging at the door.

"Door's locked, stupid. I'm not opening it."

The banging grew louder and faster, but he kept his attention on the screen. His heart raced, the grip on the sticks tightened.

_Come on._

An ear splitting shriek filled the lab. He covered his ears and looked toward the doors. They bent backwards into the lab. A growl rumbled from the other side of the doors. He barely made out a dark shape staring back at him.

"Oh, crap."

It was large and he doubted the sticks would be any use against it. He glanced around the room, trying to find something better to use.

_Maybe a P-90. _

Metal being bent caught his attention. In a flash, the doors flew across the lab, crashing into the wall on the other side.

The computer beeped its completion. He slipped the drive from the slot and placed it in his pocket. He backed away, trying to hide in the shadows. He knelt down on the floor, hoping the monster wouldn't look his way.

The ground vibrated with the thing's footsteps. It roared, devouring any other sound in the room. Rodney moved back into the shadows, bumping into the wall behind him.

_I feel like such an idiot. Next time, I'm bringing a rocket launcher._

The creature stepped into view and he looked up, up at the monster.

_Oh, my God._

The beast stood still as if listening for him. He held his breath, staring at the thing. Its head nearly touched the ceiling. Almost human like in appearance, its body was thin, but muscular. Its long white hair fell in tangles around its shoulders. Black leather pants encased its legs like a second skin. It turned and Rodney tensed, frozen in place.

Its mouth dropped open showing rows of sharp teeth. It stepped toward him then stopped, listening.

_Go away. _

He then realized the monster didn't have any eyes. He fought back a groan, knowing it probably heard every movement he made. He looked around for something to distract the creature so he could leave. He spotted an object to his left. He grabbed it, rose up on his knees and threw the object. It clanged against a ruined computer then clattered on the other side of the wall.

A low growl came from the giant Wraith. Rodney watched it stomp to the other side of the wall. He released the breath he'd been holding and scurried out of his hiding place. Racing through the doors, he entered the darkness.

_Where the hell am I to go now? How do I get back?_

The even bigger question was why did Sheppard keep showing up? Was he really here only to wake up like the pods on Aurora? If that was the case, why didn't he remember anything?

He shook his head and headed up the stairs. He'd find the answer soon enough once he got the flash drive back to the real Atlantis.

He reached the landed and the scraping echoed once again. His pulse sped, but he raced back to Teyla's room. He had no idea what caused the noises, but it irritated him to no end.

"Really, you can't find anyone else to torment?"

A body slammed into him, sending him into the wall. He stayed on his feet, using the wall for support. He stared at his attack and his eyes widened.

"What the hell?"

The creature stood well over six feet and was dressed like Ronon. It held a sword in its right hand and a gun in the other. Its mouth dripped blood. When it smiled, an icy shiver slithered down his spine.

"Oh, this isn't good."

The Ronon monster snarled and swung the sword. Rodney ducked and the blade sliced into the wall behind him. He rolled out of the way.

A gunshot echoed through the city and pain sliced through him. He winced, grabbing his side. Warm blood fell over his hand.

"This isn't a dream."

The creature laughed and charged toward him. Rodney's eyes widened in fear. He spun around and raced toward Teyla's room. Without a weapon, he couldn't fight this thing. His only defense was to run.

The door to Teyla's room appeared out of the darkness. He picked up his pace, hoping to reach the portal before he passed out from the pain.

Another gunshot resonated through the darkness. It hit the wall in front of him, but he kept going. He wasn't about to let this thing direct him where it wanted him to go. The creature roared in protest and Rodney smiled.

_Don't underestimate me. _

He slid to a stop at the door and yanked off the panel to the controls. He rearranged the crystal slides and the door slid open. He looked behind him and saw the creature racing toward him. It growled wrapped around him, grabbing his heart and squeezing. He took a deep breath and rushed into the room.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

Rodney sat up in bed, taking in huge gulps of air. Warm hands grasped his shoulders. Thinking a monster had gotten a hold of him, he struggled. He twisted around and pain shot through him. He winced and fell against the pillows.

"Rodney, it's me. Teyla. You're safe."

Trying to calm himself, he opened his eyes to find Teyla's kind ones looking back at him.

"Are you all right?"

He tried to sit up, but a stabbing pain ripped through his body. He closed his eyes and groaned.

"I don't think so."

Teyla opened his jacket and he winced. She gasped and lifted his shirt.

"You're wounded. How did that happen?"

"Some creature that looked like Ronon shot me."

She stared at him, but he shook his head. If being shot in the dream had been real, then the flash drive came back with him. He fished in his pocket and brought out the device.

"This should have all the answers."

She took the device and helped him sit up. "I'm taking you to the infirmary."

He grimaced, but allowed her to help him to his feet. She pressed her earpiece.

"Dr. Keller, Rodney's been shot. I'm bringing him in."

"I'm sure she'll be thrilled to have something to do today."

Teyla didn't answer as they left the room and headed for the elevator.

Rodney felt himself grow weaker with each step. His eyelids drooped over his eyes several times. He concentrated on keeping himself awake. At least until he was in the infirmary.

A thought forced itself into his foggy mind.

"I need you to get this to my lab." He handed the drive to Teyla. "Tell Zelenka it's important and it top priority."

She took it from his hand. "I will."

He nodded.

They stepped into the infirmary and Jennifer hurried toward them. She came to Rodney's left and helped Teyla half-carry, half-drag him to the closest bed. He winced as he slowly lay down.

"How did this happen?"

"He said a creature shot him."

Jennifer hovered over him. "What creature?"

He shook his head, trying not to blink as she flashed her pin light in his eyes.

"The nightmares and visions, they're real."

She looked at him as if he'd grown another head. She turned her attention to Teyla, who sighed and stepped forward.

"He wanted me to help him mediate. He wanted to find some answers to what's been happening to him. It was fine until he woke up gasping. It was then I saw the bloodstain. He said a creature that looked like Ronon shot him."

"What are you talking about? Are they're intruders?"

"I don't know how or why, but I think something's pulling me into another reality."

She looked at him, concern in her eyes. She ran her fingers through his hair. He closed his eyes, finally giving into oblivion.

~*~

Jennifer stepped into the briefing room, not caring she interrupted a meeting. They stared at her, but she scanned the group until her eyes fell on Sheppard.

"I need to talk to you."

"Can't it wait?" Woolsey asked, clearing not pleased about her barging in.

She narrowed her eyes. "No, it can't. This is about Rodney. He's been shot?"

Woolsey's jaw dropped.

The sound of a chair scraping the floor brought her attention back to Sheppard. "What do you mean he's been shot?"

"I have no idea how it happened, but he was mediating and the next minute, he was waking up with a gunshot wound."

She handed him a plastic jar with the bullet inside. "I found this when I operated on him."

Sheppard stared at the jar, his brow furrowed. "Was he alone?"

"Teyla was with him. She didn't hear anything and no one else was in the room. Rodney said a creature shot him."

He stared at her. "What?"

Jennifer sighed. "A creature shot him while he was mediating."

He looked at the bullet again. "How is he?"

"Physically, he'll be fine. I don't know about mentally."

He handed the jar back to her. "I want to see him. I think this might have something to do with what happened on that planet."

"He's not awake, yet."

"I haven't given you permission to leave, Colonel."

Sheppard turned his glare on Woolsey. "There are more important things going on here than your stupid meeting."

He turned on his heel and left the briefing room. Jennifer offered an uneasy smile and followed.

~*~

Rodney woke in the infirmary, pain slicing through him. He opened his eyes to dim light and quiet. He allowed his eyes to focus and adjust to the light. He blinked slowly, taking in his surroundings.

His eyes fell on the bed beside him. Empty, covered in blood, he stared at it, his mouth hanging open. He shook his head, trying to push himself into a sitting position.

_No, no, no. Damn it!_

He winced at the pain in his side. Lifting his shirt up, he looked at the wound. Bandages wrapped around his mid-section, a small red blotch in the center. He dropped the shirt and climbed off the bed.

_I need to get out of here. _

Listening for any sign of movement, he cautiously headed for the doors. He searched the shadows for monsters, but saw nothing. His heart pounded in his chest as he inched toward the exit.

A flash caught his attention to his right. Curious, he stepped toward a blood covered bed. On top of the bed rested a rusted metal pipe. He stared at it, dumfounded.

_What the hell is that doing here?_

Rodney picked up the pipe, testing the weight of the object. Shrugging, he headed for the doors.

"Rodney."

He stopped short, his stomach coiling into a knot. The familiar voice teased memories from his mind. He closed his eyes, his heart turning over.

_I didn't hear that. _

Ignoring the voice, he picked up his pace. He made it to the doors, but they wouldn't open. He glared at them, then yanked the panel off the controls.

"Stupid place."

"Rodney. Why are you leaving, Rodney."

He closed his eyes on a groan. He didn't want to turn around, but he felt compelled to. He knew what he'd see once he did and that was all the more reason not to.

"Go away."

Soft footsteps came up behind him. He worked fast on the controls, wanting to leave this room before he finally gave in and turned around.

The doors swished open and he didn't bother to return the cover. He dropped it and hurried out of the room. He raced across the wide space, not bothering to look behind him. He wanted to get far away from that voice as possible. He didn't need bad nor good memories to fill his mind and make him lose his mind.

His lungs burned and he finally stopped running. He bent over, taking in huge gasps of air.

After a moment, he stood straight, taking in one last gulp of air. He finally chanced a glance behind him and only saw darkness. He relaxed against a pillar and closed his eyes.

A noise behind him brought him up short. He spun, the pipe raised. He narrowed his eyes at the darkness, wishing he'd a flashlight.

"What are you going to annoy me with this time?" He tightened his grip on the weapon.

The noise sounded again. It reminded him of someone walking in a mud puddle. Taking a deep breath, he stepped back. The lights flickered and for once he was grateful for the strange fluctuations of the lights. Maybe now, he could see the thing coming toward him.

"Let's see what you look like." _Not that I really want to know, but I need to see what I'm going to hit._

The lights snapped off then on again. A foot slid into the light. It looked decayed, skin flecking off with each step. The light went off again and Rodney's heart raced. They flicked on and another foot slid into the pool of light.

"Come on. I'm getting bored."

Off.

When the lights came on again, the entire creature stood in the pool. It stood barely five feet, its yellow eyes glaring at him. Its head blended in with the rest of its grey body. It opened its mouth wide. The chin nearly touched its chest. A strange cry echoed from it, piercing his ears. He winced, but refused to cover his ears. He didn't want to give the thing a chance to attack him.

"Oh, shut up." He took two steps and swung the pipe. The pipe slammed into the creature's head, sending the thing spinning.

The creature screamed, echoing through out the city. He hit the monster again, sending it to stumble into a pillar. He brought the weapon down on its back and it fell to its knees. He continued to hit the creature turning its head into a bloody pulp. It didn't get up.

Breathing heavily, ignoring the pain in his side, Rodney stared at the creature. Black blood covered the pillar and floor. He wiped his face, mixing sweat and blood on his sleeve.

_This is getting old. I hope Radek figures out what's on the flash drive so I can end this._

Shaking his head, he turned and headed toward the stairs. He doubted the lab offered anymore answers, but he had a feeling the Gateroom might provide some answers.

_Maybe there's an address in the database I can go to. Anything is better than staying here waiting to be attacked. Maybe the location can offer some insight to what's going on. _

He headed up the stairs, taking them two at a time. He slipped on a gooey substance, but he didn't waste time to learn what it was. He had a mission and he wasn't about to let anything slow him down. He wanted answers and a way out of here.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

Rodney stepped into the control room, his gaze falling on the gate below. He didn't know what to expect to find, but he didn't expect the gate to be in pristine condition. He blinked at it, half anticipating it to change right before his eyes.

It didn't, but he wasn't about to let his guard down. He paced to the DHD console, took a deep breath, then dialed the first address that came to mind.

The gate activated. To his relief and surprise, water rushed out then back in, leaving a blue horizon. He stared at it, not believing his eyes.

The scraping of metal against metal surprised him. He spun around, but nothing was there. His heart thudding against his chest, he grabbed his pipe off the console, and rushed down the steps toward the gate. The grating echoed, making him believe whatever caused the noise was right behind him.

_Don't look. Just get through the gate. _

He swore something breathed down his neck. Not bothering to turn to look, he jumped through the gate.

Rodney landed face first in a field. The gate shut down behind him and he finally relaxed. A gurgle of laughter bubbled inside him, but he fought it back. He knew he wasn't out of the woods. Not until he figured out what was going on and found his way back to the real Atlantis.

_Let's get going. _

He pushed himself to his feet and stared at his surroundings. Muted daylight revealed a ring of trees circling the brown field he stood in. Grey clouds covered the sky, threatening rain. A chill ran through him as he looked down at the path stretching before him.

"Oh, perfect. Just where I wanted to be._"_

Sighing, hoping the path led to answers, he headed into the forest. The cold wind blew, bringing with it the smell of moisture. He picked up his pace, remembering the strange incident that happened to both him and his team.

_They said they looked for me, even found a village. I wonder if its actually there or something that just appeared like the mutant Wraith. _

He turned the bend in the path and the wind picked up. A shiver went through him as did the sensation of being watched. Turning in a complete circle, he scanned the vegetation. Nothing moved in the bushes or the trees.

_I'm imagining things. _

Shaking his head, Rodney continued down the trail. A fog rolled over the path in front of him. He stared at it, unease flowing through him. He turned his gaze to the forest on his right. The fog spread through out the forest till he couldn't see anything passed the trees in before him.

Voices whispered in the fog, but he couldn't understand what they said. Determination beating back his fear, Rodney trudged on. The fog engulfed him, wrapped around him. He kept his eyes on the path, hoping he wouldn't run into anything in this soup.

A trig snapped to his left. He stopped, listening. He glanced in the direction, but saw nothing. The fog completely blocked out everything. Taking a deep breath, he continued, but picked up his pace.

The path soon split in two directions; one turning toward the right and further into the forest. The other going left. He had a feeling the left led to the broken Stargate.

_I don't want to go through that again. Let's try the right. _

Keeping his eyes on the path, he followed the path heading deeper into the forest.

Rustling of the bushes caught his attention. His heart skipped a beat, but he kept going. He refused to let anything stop him or scare him.

A low growl rumbled through the forest, sounding close. He glanced toward his right and the bushes moved.

_Oh, crap. _

Rodney ran down the path. The bushes crashed behind him followed by a snarl. Footsteps thundered behind him. He chanced a look back down the path. A skinned dog rushed toward him, its maw showing rows of teeth. It snarled and leaped at him. He ducked in time and the thing flew over him. It turned around, growling.

He raised the pipe, waiting for the creature to attack. The monster stepped toward the side then leaped at him. He stepped back and swung, striking the creature in the side. It yelped and fell to the ground. It quickly got up, but he slammed the weapon on its back. It went down and Rodney kicked it. It screamed, piercing his ears. He winced, but brought the pipe down once again. The monster didn't get up.

Breathing hard, Rodney looked around, waiting for another beast to attack him. Nothing came, but he didn't relax. Griping the weapon tighter, he hurried down the path.

The trail turned toward the right and Rodney began to wonder if this path ever ended. A shriek of a bird pierced the silence. He stared up into the trees, but the fog was too thick to see much.

_Where's the end of this thing?_

The desolation pressed into him, causing him to feel alone and lost. It tightened his chest and he fought to breathe.

_Stop it! It can't be that much further. Don't give up._

He took a deep breath and the strange sensation lifted off his chest. Before his eyes, the fog lifted revealing the end of the path. Relief flooded him and he hurried down the path.

A breath of air rushed over his face, bringing him to a stop. A chill went through him and he chanced a look behind him.

Nothing.

Taking a deep breath, he turned to face the village. An eerie silence fell over the area. A sense of isolation and dread crept into him as he walked down the center.

Abandoned buildings crawled out of the fog on his left and right. Boards covered the doors and windows of some of the buildings. To his surprise, cars were left to rust over on the side of the streets.

_This isn't a village, this is a town and a damn creepy one at that. Where the hell am I? Am I back on Earth?_

Rodney passed an old car rusting over from neglect. He looked inside the side window, but saw nothing.

Footsteps echoed in the stillness. He turned, but nothing was there. Narrowing his eyes, he gripped the pipe and headed toward the sound.

He crossed the street and the footsteps grew louder. His pulse raced in his veins and his mouth became dry. He swallowed.

From an alley to his left stepped a figure. He stopped, raising his weapon, ready to defend himself. The form strode closer, revealing a red shirt and black slacks. He looked into green eyes and his eyes widened.

"What the hell? How did you get here?"

Reaching toward him, she smiled. He took a step back, the grip on the pipe loosening.

"Rodney." Elizabeth's eyes and voice pleaded with him. "Stay."

He stared at her, not believing what he saw. She didn't look like any of the creatures he ran across. She looked like the Elizabeth he knew. It was too much to take in.

Shaking his head, he took another step back. "No. You're not Elizabeth."

"I am, Rodney. I'm Dr. Elizabeth Weir."

A trash can banged to his right. He jumped and stared across the street. Movement in an alley across from him caught his attention. He narrowed his eyes, trying to see into the shadows the fog created.

"There's nothing there."

"I'm not going to underestimate anything." Rodney raised his weapon and stepped into the street. A knot tightened in his stomach and he took a deep breath to ease it.

A hiss came from his left. He spun and a large form attacked him from his right. He fell to the ground, but rolled away before a foot slammed down on his stomach. He climbed to his feet, wincing at the pain from the gunshot wound.

A six foot monster stood in front of him, its flesh peeling. Its twisted hands resembled claws more than fingers. It roared, its scream echoing through the town. It swiped at him, but he ducked in time.

"Rodney!"

He'd forgotten Elizabeth was there. He glanced at her. "Stay there!"

He ducked another attack then swung his weapon in the monster's stomach. It snarled, but stepped back. It attempted to swing again only to miss. He brought the weapon down on the back of the creature's knee. It screamed in agony and fell.

He raised the pipe for another attack, but the creature acted, slicing across his mid-section. He cried out, dropping the pipe.

"Rodney!"

Rodney stepped away from the creature. His hands clutched his stomach, warm blood flowed over his fingers. He glared at the monster. It climbed to its feet and faced him.

Elizabeth's hands were on him, pulling him away from the beast. It stepped toward them, snarling. His gaze fell on the pipe in the street.

_If I can get to it fast enough, I can shove it into the thing._

"I have an idea." He attempted to get out of Elizabeth's hold, but she held onto him.

"You're not going near that thing. Let's get out of here."

She pulled him along after her and the two raced down the street. He looked behind him and the creature stomped toward them. His heart sank into his stomach and he picked up his pace.

"This way!" She pulled him down an alley to a door on the side of a building. She shoved the door open and dragged him into pitch darkness.

Rodney leaned against the wall while Elizabeth slammed the door. She dragged something heavy across the floor and positioned it against the door. Breathing hard, she stepped toward him.

"Where are we?"

Her warm hands touched his face. "We're safe."

He smirked. "That's not a location."

"I don't know. A room. Hopefully that table will keep the thing out while I find something to dress that wound."

Rodney slid down the wall to the floor. He felt drained and wanted nothing more than to wake up safe in the real Atlantis.

"This town? How did we get here?"

"I don't have any answers. Just rest."

He rested his head against the wall and closed his eyes, hoping the creature wouldn't burst through the door.

~*~

Rodney opened his eyes to a small room. A large table was shoved up against the door to his left. Pain sliced through him and he winced. Blood soaked his shirt. Heart pounding, he lifted his shirt to reveal a large bandage and gauze wrapped around his stomach. Sighing in relief, he looked up only to find he was alone.

"Elizabeth?"

He pushed himself to his feet. _If she left the room how did the table moved back against the door?_

It was the only door leading in or out. And right now, he needed out.

_I'm not going to find answers staying in here. _

He pulled the table back from the door, wincing at the pain it caused. Taking in deep breaths, he listened for any movement outside. Hearing none, he cautiously opened the door and left the room.

The town stood silent, the fog choosing what to reveal and what to keep hidden. The loneliness and trepidation returned, but Rodney kept it from taking over him. He needed to find answers.

He needed to find Elizabeth.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven **

Rodney raced down the street, hoping for a sign of Elizabeth. He caught a glimpse of red up ahead and picked up his pace.

"Elizabeth, wait!"

He turned the corner only to find the street empty. He stared into the fog in disbelief. How could he have missed her? He hadn't been that far behind.

Thinking the fog might be hiding her, he strode down the road. A car with its door open loomed in the desolation. He stopped beside it and peeked inside. A 9mm rested on the cloth seat.

_I'm going to need that. _

He snatched it off the seat and checked for bullets. The magazine was full and one rested in the chamber. He climbed in to check the backseat, but didn't find anymore ammo. Grumbling, he crawled out of the car.

A growl startled him and he rushed back into the car, slamming the door shut behind him.

A dog collided with the car door.

"That ought to teach you! Brainless dog."

The creature growled, barked and clawed at the door. It rammed the door again, trying to force itself inside.

Rodney shook his head. "You're not getting in."

Turning around, he saw the way was clear. He opened the car door leading onto the sidewalk. The creature continued to attack. Shaking his head, he hurried down the sidewalk and away from the monster.

The fog seemed to increase in thickness and he slowed his pace. He cocked his head to the side, listening for any movement behind him.

Silence.

He stepped closer to the building on his right and followed it. He crossed an alley and heard a trash can tumble over. He jumped, aiming his gun into the alleyway. The fog hid whatever caused the noise. His heart pounded in his chest, threatening to burst.

He stared into the fog for several moments, but nothing rushed him. After another moment passed, he relaxed and continued on.

Footsteps clicked ahead of him. They sounded like women's boots. He held his breath, waiting for the owner to appear out of the fog. The footsteps continued across the street, deeper into the fog.

Rodney hurried across the street, hoping to catch up. He nearly ran into a parked car. The footfalls continued down the sidewalk. He narrowed his eyes, trying to see through the fog.

"Elizabeth!"

The sound stopped and he raced around the car and up onto the sidewalk. He ran in the direction he last heard the sound, hopes soaring.

The fog cleared slightly, revealing an empty sidewalk in front of a run down building.

"Damn it." He ran a hand through his hair and glared at the building. The door hung on its hinges, paper and old wood littered the floor.

_Did you go in there? _

Taking a deep breath, Rodney entered the building.

A staircase leading up stood to his right. In front of him and to his left was a large desk, the top littered with papers. Rows of small boxes lined the wall behind the desk.

He strode across the worn dark carpet toward the desk. He ruffled through the scattered papers, trying to find out where the hell he was. A newspaper clipping caught his attention. It looked old, the wording almost unreadable. He squinted in the dimness to read.

Silent Hill Chronicles

He blinked in disbelief. "What?"

A door banged above him. Looking up, he dropped the paper back on the desk. Footsteps pounded across the floor.

_Elizabeth. _

Rodney hurried up the stairs to the second floor. Standing on the landing, he didn't see anyone running down the hallway in front of him, nor did he hear another door close.

_What's going on here? Why am I hearing things?_

The wallpaper was faded and torn, but it seemed to have been elegant at one time. Paintings on the walls were peeling, ripped to shreds or lost color.

He strode down the corridor, testing the doors on both sides of the hall. Many of the doors were locked or wouldn't budge when he tried to push them open. Grumbling, he continued on.

Towards the middle of the hall on his right, he found a doorway, its door long gone. He stepped cautiously into the room, his gun aimed in case a creature attacked. A strange smell assaulted his nose.

To his right stood a kitchen, blood smeared the tiles. He continued on into the living room. A broken coffee table stood in the middle of the room. The cracks in the walls resembled spider webs. The cushions on the sofa appeared worn, even torn in some places. Books and papers lay scattered across the floor.

Scratching from the hallway to his left caught his attention. He raised his gun and cautiously stepped into the corridor. At the end of the hall stood a slightly open door. Keeping his eye on the open door, Rodney checked the door on his right.

_Locked. Guess its door number one. _

The scratching grew louder with each step he took. His stomach coiled into a knot and an icy chill ran its fingers down his back. The urge to call out to the sound rode him, but he clamped his mouth shut. He didn't want to alert anything in the room to his presence.

Using the business end of the gun, he pushed the door open. It swung to the side to reveal a bed, its bloody bedspread torn to shreds. A body lay on top, one of its arms hanging over the side. The form looked human and female.

"What is it with this place?"

The scratching continued to his right. His gaze fell on a closet. He stepped further into the room, debating on opening the door or leaving.

Unconsciously, he looked at the body on the bed. It was covered in blood, but he could make out the slashes in the shirt and pants. He treaded closer to investigate when he heard a crash behind him. He spun to face the noisemaker.

The closet door stood open and a large figure stood in the doorway. It stepped into the room, its eyeless face focused on him. Its muscled chest was covered in scratches and scars. Its long fingers ended in talons coated in dried blood.

It sniffed the air. Its low growl rumbled.

Rodney slowly backed toward the bedroom door. He kept his eyes on the creature, hoping it didn't notice him. The creature snarled and stepped toward the bed. It swiped at the covers, ripping what was left.

_Time to get out of here. _

Rodney turned and race down the short hallway, through the living room and out into the corridor. He headed for the stairs, not stopping until he was in the lobby. He rested against the desk, breathing hard.

His gaze fell on the newspaper clipping. Sneering, he grabbed it and left the building. Breathing in the chilly air, he looked right then left. The fog made it difficult to see anything, but he knew the direction in which he'd come from.

_Find Elizabeth or head back to the gate. _

It was a difficult decision. His heart told him to search for Elizabeth, but his brain demanded he head back to the gate. He ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

A dog howled in the distance, but the fog made it sound as if it were right beside him. His heart jumped and he headed down the sidewalk away from the apartment building and the howling.

"Elizabeth!"

He ran down the street, calling out her name. The fog suddenly lightened revealing a sudden drop off. Startled, he fell back and landed on his butt. Pain from his wounds shot through him and he winced. Holding his side, he scrambled to his knees and crawled to the edge. Looking over, his stomach dropped at the sight. He couldn't see the bottom.

"It goes on forever."

Rodney slowly back away. He took a moment to catch his breath, making sure he didn't look back at the end of the street. Feeling lost and alone like never before, he closed his eyes, fighting the urge to scream.

_Get yourself together. You're a genius remember? You can find a way out of here. _

Determination rising, he climbed to his feet and headed back down the street. He moved across the road to the left side and stepped onto the sidewalk. The fog wrapped around him once again, but he kept his eyes and ears open for movement; Elizabeth or otherwise. He wasn't about to be taken off guard again.

Up ahead, a shadow moved toward him. He raised his gun, aiming it at the figure. He cautiously closed the gap, hoping the shadow was Elizabeth.

The figure stepped out of the fog and Rodney blinked.

"Sheppard?"

"Good to see you, too, McKay."

Relief washed over him and he lowered his weapon. He leaned against the wall of a building, feeling the pain draining him. He closed his eyes, his knees going weak.

"Are you all right?"

He opened his eyes. "I've been shot and sliced, so no, I'm not all right. On top of that, I think I've seen Elizabeth."

Sheppard's eyes widened. "Elizabeth? Are you sure?"

Rodney sighed and pushed away from the wall. "No. I'm not sure of anything at the moment. I don't even know how the hell I got here?"

"Where is here?"

Rodney reached into his pocket, pulled out the clipping, and handed it to John.

"It's a town called Silent Hill. We're back on Earth."

Sheppard stared at the clipping then at him. "How?"

He shook his head. "I dialed the planet we went to yesterday, stepped through the gate, and ended up here."

Sheppard gazed around them then handed the clipping back. "I wouldn't believe you if I weren't seeing it."

"Neither would I."

He shoved the clipping in his pocket and headed down the street. He had no idea where he was going, but he knew they couldn't stay out in the open much longer. No telling what they'd come across now.

"We need to head back to Atlantis and get your wounds treated."

"Not until I find Elizabeth or how we got here."

"You don't think it was the gate?"

Rodney shook his head. "I have a feeling it has nothing to do with the gate."

"Great."

They turned a corner and two skinned dogs prowled the lane. He ducked back, pressing his back against the wall.

"Dogs, two of them."

Sheppard raised an eyebrow. "Dogs?"

Rodney motioned for Sheppard to take a look. They both peeked around the corner. The dogs snarled and leaped toward them. Sheppard opened fire with his P-90. One of the dogs yelped and fell to the ground. Rodney squeezed off two shots and the second dog dropped to the ground.

"Well, that was easy."

Rodney scoffed. "You haven't seen anything, yet."

He led the way down the street, scanning left and right for creatures. The fog grew thick again and an eerie stillness came over the area. Butterflies raced inside his stomach. The tension became unbearable. It seemed a monster would attack them at any moment.

"What's with this fog?" Sheppard's whisper seemed loud in the quiet.

"Do I look like an expert on eerie towns with creepy fog?"

"Ok, stupid question."

Rodney rolled his eyes, but didn't comment. He wanted out of this fog and off the street. Something was coming, he could feel it. He jogged across the street and tested the door of the nearest building. It was locked.

"Going shopping?"

He glared at Sheppard. "Yeah, I want some shoes."

"Just trying to lighten the mood."

Rodney jogged to the next building and tried its door. It swung open on creaking hinges. It reverberated in the silence. He winced, hoping nothing heard it.

"Follow me." Sheppard turned on the light to his P-90 and stepped into the building.

Rodney glanced behind him, but the fog revealed nothing. Lifting his gun, he followed Sheppard into the dark building.

The weak light refused to enter the building and Rodney couldn't blame it. Debris covered the floor, some falling from the ceiling. The columns holding up the ceiling were chipped and covered in grim.

"This place is falling apart."

"Thanks for the information, Captain Obvious."

Sheppard stared at him, but Rodney ignored him. He strode toward his left only to have something land in front of him. He jumped back, startled.

"Bring that light over here." He hated hearing the fear in his voice.

Sheppard shone his flashlight on the thing on the floor. A body, completely devoid of skin and clothes lay at his feet. Rodney's heart stopped then started again. Bile rose in his throat, but he swallowed it back down. He walked away, taking in great gulps of air.

"I never thought I'd be living in a horror movie."

Rodney inhaled deeply and turned to glare at Sheppard. "This isn't a horror movie."

Sheppard shrugged. The light from Sheppard's P-90 landed on the doors to an elevator. The brilliance reflected back at them.

"Let's see if that works." Sheppard strode toward it.

"Hold on!" Rodney raced after him, grabbing the Colonel's arm to stop him. "You don't know if it'll even work or what's on the other side."

"You want to take the stairs?"

"Better the stairs then having to fight whatever's in that elevator."

Sheppard shone his light around them until it fell on a large staircase tucked in a corner behind them. He took the lead across the large space and up the stairs to the second floor.

The dark décor made the place appear even darker. The silence was deafening. Rodney kept looking over his shoulder, half expecting a creature to attack.

The doors lined the long corridor, six on one side and two on the other. A large painting graced the wall on the left between the two doors. Sheppard aimed the light on the painting, exposing a scene of a lake surrounded by trees on one side.

"I wouldn't expect to find something so nice in this place."

Rodney didn't answer. He tried the doors flanking the painting, but they were locked. Growling, he kicked one of the doors, but it wouldn't budge.

"Let me try." Sheppard stepped back then kicked the door. It crashed to the floor with a loud bang.

"Show off."

Sheppard smiled then led the way into the room. A grim covered mattress lay up against the wall to their left. The bed frame lay upside down on the other side of the room. A door to their right stood open, revealing a bathroom plastered in blood and grim. A powerful smell filled the small space.

"That is disgusting." Sheppard turned away from the room and stepped further inside.

Rodney moved toward the large dresser in front of him. He opened the top drawer and a large insect flew at his face. He jumped back, waving his arms to keep the thing from clawing his face. He swung his gun, striking the creature. It shrieked and fell to the ground. Aiming his gun at the little beast, he shot it. Yellow goo splattered the floor and dresser.

Rodney sneered. "I hate this town."

"Maybe we should get out of here."

He stared at Sheppard, breathing hard. "I'm not going anywhere. Better in here than out there where we won't even see the things coming."

Sheppard shook his head. "I'm not sleeping on any of these beds, if they all look like that."

Rodney stared at the mattress and had to agree. The floors weren't much better. The hard wood floors looked warped from water.

_Or blood._

The thought sent a chill through him. He shivered. Wanting something else to focus on, he went back to rummage through the top drawer. To his surprise, the drawer was empty of clothes. He shut it and opened the second. To his relief, no insects came flying out. Instead, a scrap of paper rested inside.

"Look at this." He pulled the paper out and motioned for Sheppard to shine the light on it.

The paper was stained, but gratefully he was able to read the words. He narrowed his eyes to read in the bright light of the P-90.

_I saw them again. _

_I don't think they saw me. _

"That's it?" Sheppard sounded unimpressed.

Rodney shook his head and placed the note back it the dresser. It told him nothing. He slammed the door shut and opened the third and fourth one.

Nothing.

"What are you looking for?"

"A lot of things. I'm looking for answers of why we're here, how we got here, and where's Elizabeth. Also a way to get back to Atlantis."

"You're not asking for much."

Rodney glared at Sheppard. "Forgive me for wanting to get to the bottom of this."

He left the room and tried the doors across the hall. Three of them were locked while one swung opened when he tried the knob. Grumbling, he stepped into the room.

Two beds with mattresses rested against the wall to his right. Another dresser stood in the corner to his left. He hurried to the dresser and opened drawers. He didn't find anything. He turned and spotted something on the nightstand by the closest bed.

"Here."

"I'm so happy to be your flashlight."

"You can go back."

"Hell no. You're stuck with me."

"Lucky me." Rodney picked up the scrap of paper. "April 15th. I thought something was following me. The fog is so thick in this town, I can't be sure. I holed up in this abandoned hotel, hoping the fog would clear. It hasn't, yet. That was three days ago."

"Ok, I'm official creeped out."

Rodney dropped the paper back on the nightstand. Fear griped him, tightening into a tight ball in his stomach. If what the letter said was true, the fog was permanent.

A door slammed in the distance. Rodney stared at Sheppard for a moment before the Colonel led the way back out into the corridor.

"Nothing out here."

"Check the doors down the hall."

Sheppard hurried down the hallway, checking doors as he went. Most were locked or wouldn't budge when he kicked them. They continued on until they came to another staircase.

"Going up?"

"After you."

Sheppard shook his head, but led the way upstairs. Rodney looked backed the stairs in hopes of seeing Elizabeth. Instead, a humanoid creature stumbled down the hallway. It resembled the first monster he encountered back at the strange Atlantis. It didn't have any arms. A black substance dripped down its body, leaving a trail behind it.

Rodney aimed his gun and squeezed off two shots. The creature stumbled then fell to its knees. He turned and hurried up the stairs to come across an empty hallway.

"Sheppard?"

His heart pounded, his breathing raced passed his lips. He strode down the corridor, checking the doors, hoping one would open. He was half-way down the hall when a door banged open behind him. He spun, his gun raised.

A scream pierced the silence. Rodney winced, but didn't close his eyes.

A figure, dressed in white, stepped out into the hallway. It turned to face him, green eyes narrowed. The form's dark hair fell in waves over its shoulders.

"Elizabeth?"

The white dress turned red with blood right before his eyes. The creature screamed, its cry reverberating through the building. Rodney dropped his gun and covered his ears. He backed away, trying to get away. He closed his eyes against the pain in his head.

"Stop it!" Rodney dropped to his knees, but the shriek only grew louder. He fell to his side then into oblivion.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

"Elizabeth!"

Warm hands gripped his arms. "It's all right. You're safe."

Rodney didn't open his eyes. He didn't want to discover he was still in the hotel. He didn't want to know the hands upon him were a trick.

"Rodney, it's ok. I'm here."

The familiar voice soothed him. He relaxed against a warm bed. Other voices and footsteps came to his ears. Bright light pierced his eyelids, compelling him to open his eyes.

"Jennifer?"

"Yes. Come on, open your eyes."

He forced his eyes open, blinking back the brightness. Machines beeped beside him, calming him even more. Jennifer's face came into focus. She smiled at him, relief in her eyes.

"We thought we lost you. The wound was worse than I thought. It bled like crazy."

"How long have I been out?" It seemed he'd been in that town for only a couple of hours.

"Three days. It was touch and go for awhile. Somehow you tore your stitches and we had to fix them. That was yesterday."

He gaped at her, blinking. "How'd I do that?"

Jennifer shrugged and helped him sit up. "I don't have proof, but I think you struggled in your sleep. No one saw you do it, but it's the only explanation. Either that or someone came in here and tore them."

He didn't think anyone would do that. The look in her eyes told him she felt the same.

"Did Zelenka find anything on that drive I came back with?"

"Not, yet. I went down there myself to learn what's going on with you. There's a lot on the drive. He's sorting through it."

"Anything else?"

Jennifer's eyes darkened with unease. She turned to the tray beside the bed. "Yesterday, I found this in your pants pocket. I have no idea how it got there."

She turned back to him and handed him the newspaper clipping. He stared at it, his heart pounding in his chest.

"I've never heard of Silent Hill." Her voice held the fear he felt.

"Neither I have, but the place looks more like Earth than anywhere in the Pegasus galaxy."

She placed the clipping back on the tray. "Hopefully that flash drive holds the answers."

"Hopefully."

His stomach growled and Jennifer laughed. Warmth flooded his face, but he returned the smile.

"I'll bring you something to eat."

"Good. I'm tried of hearing things growl."

She laughed again then left. He held her laughter inside him, hoping it'd banish the fear and unease.

~*~

Jennifer headed into the mess hall, her thoughts on Rodney. What was happening to him? If she hadn't found that clipping or saw the flash drive, she'd swear he was going insane.

She picked up a tray and doubled up on the food. _Might as well get something for myself while I'm here. _

"Hungry?"

She jumped at Sheppard's voice, almost dropping the tray. She glared at the Colonel.

"Some of this is for Rodney."

His expression turned serious. "How is he?"

"He woke up screaming Dr. Weir's name. I think he had a nightmare. I found a newspaper clipping in his pocket yesterday. It wasn't there before."

Sheppard blinked at her. "Like the flash drive."

She nodded, picked up the tray, and headed for the doors. Sheppard followed her, his boots clomping behind her.

"Did he tell you that when we were on that planet, he thought we disappeared when it was him who vanished?"

"No, he didn't. Are you trying to tell me he might be going insane?"

"It wouldn't explain the things that are appearing, like the bullet and the flash drive."

"Zelenka's going through the data now. With any luck, he'll find something."

Sheppard nodded. "Mind if I join you? I want check up on him."

She smiled and headed back to the infirmary.

Once back in the infirmary, Jennifer headed for Rodney's bed. She placed the tray on the table beside the bed and narrowed her eyes at him.

"John told me you disappeared on that planet the other day."

He blinked as if not understanding, then sighed. "To me, they were the ones who disappeared. Sheppard said they came across an abandoned village, but when I went back there, it was a town full of monsters and fog."

Jennifer clasped his hand in hers. "Maybe you should mention that to John."

Rodney struggled to sit up more. His gaze focused on a point behind her and she turned to motion for John to join them.

"You went back? How? You were here the entire time."

"I don't know, but I did. I woke up in a very different Atlantis and I was able to dial the gate and leave. I ended up back on that planet."

"And you found a town instead of the village."

"The place was crawling with fog and creatures. I saw Elizabeth."

John rolled his eyes. "Now I know you're going insane."

"Listen! I'm not going crazy. She talked to me."

John shook his head. "Rodney, you were unconscious from your injury. There's no telling what your brain conjured up."

Rodney glared at him. "Then how the hell did I get the wounds in the first place? I was with Teyla at the time."

The Colonel looked away, clearly not sure what to say. He sighed and looked back at Rodney.

"You were there as well."

Jennifer stared at Rodney then at John. John's mouth fell open.

"Again?"

Jennifer blinked at both of them. What was going on here?

"That's the third time."

John shook his head. "Maybe I should head back to the planet myself and see what the hell is going on."

"I doubt it'd help, but I'm going with you anyway."

Jennifer placed a hand on his shoulder. "No, you're not. You're still wounded and you need rest."

"I've been resting for three days. I'm fine."

"If I have to strap you to the bed, I will. I'm not letting you out of here until you're completely healed."

Rodney glared at her, but she didn't back down. "How long will that take?"

She smiled and handed him a plate of food. "Eat something and let's find out."

Grumbling came from him and she didn't know if it was his stomach or not. He dug into his meal.

Before she could pick up her sandwich, John grabbed her arm and led her away from Rodney's bed. She gaped at him, surprised by the worry in his eyes.

"What the hell is wrong with him? What's causing this?"

"I don't know. He's not infected with any entities or parasites in his brain or anywhere else. He's fine."

"There has to be something. You can't just go to sleep and wake up with a gunshot wound. It's impossible."

She couldn't help, but smile. "Unless Freddy Krueger is carrying."

He narrowed his eyes. "I'm serious. This can't keep happening. What if we're on a mission and he disappears at a crucial time?"

"Zelenka is searching through the flash drive Rodney brought back. He seems to think the answers are there."

John shook his head. "I think the answers are back on that planet."

"I think it's been going on before the planet. He told me he's been having nightmares and visions, which leads me to believe it's been happening for awhile."

John looked toward Rodney's bed and sighed. He turned his gaze back to her and she saw determination flare in his eyes.

"I'm not going to let this continue. When he's better, we're going to that planet and get to the bottom of this."

Before she could say anything, John stalked out of the infirmary.

~*~

Rodney stared at the ceiling, bored out of his mind. He sighed deeply and fought the urge to twiddle his thumbs. Hours had past since he woke up and already he was chomping at the bit to get back into his lab.

_I have to look at that flash drive. Something has to be on it to tell me what's going on. _

Jennifer told him John was adamant about going to the planet to search for answers. He didn't know what they'd find, but he planned to go along as well.

Now, he stared up at the ceiling, waiting to fully recover. He forgot how boring it could be.

_I wonder if I could have the flash drive brought up here. _

He pressed his hand against his head and realized his earpiece wasn't there. He glanced at the bedside tray and smirked when he spotted it. He grabbed it and placed it on his ear.

"Rodney, are you there?"

_Great timing. _

"Yes, Radek."

"We found something."

Surprise and excitement exploded inside him. He sat up straighter, itching to get his hands on the results.

"What'd you find?"

"It's better if you see it."

Rodney rolled his eyes. "Then bring it up to the infirmary."

"Right. Radek out."

Rodney smiled and sat back against the pillow. _Finally something to relieve the boredom._

Before long, the doors to the infirmary whooshed open and Zelenka came into view carrying a tablet. At the sight of the computer, Rodney's hopes soared. Soon, he'd have all the answers he needed and hopefully use them to stop these nightmares or whatever they were.

Radek came around the bed and handed the computer to him.

"What'd you find?" Rodney asked, excitement bubbling underneath the calm.

"I have it cued up, so to speak. Just read."

Rodney gave the man a look then scanned the information. He blinked then narrowed his eyes.

"You're kidding me?"

"No. I read the data twice, even put it in translator just in case. It's real."

Rodney read through the data again, slowly, digesting every word, making it sink into his fast processing brain.

The information appeared to be nothing more than a diary of an Ancient who found himself in a changed Atlantis. Monsters appeared out of the darkness and the city itself seemed to be dead.

Rodney squirmed and scanned through the data trying to learn if the Ancient figured out how to stop it. He didn't like what he found.

The man went deep into the city's suburbs searching for answers until he found himself in a room splattered with blood. In the center of the room stood his sister who'd been dead for nine years. She blamed him for her death and brought him to this world to punish him.

"It doesn't say anything more." He looked up at Zelenka. "Did you find anything else?"

"A layout of the city and a list of creatures the Ancient came across. It's all in there."

Rodney brought up the layout of the city and his eyes widened.

"What the hell? This doesn't look anything like Atlantis. Nothing is where it's supposed to be. The Gateroom is in a completely different place. Even the Atlantis I went to looked more like the real thing."

"He wrote that this alternate Atlantis didn't look anything like his own."

Rodney glared at him. "You're telling me this Ancient didn't see the same Atlantis I did?"

Zelenka nodded. "Take a look at his list of creatures. Did you see any of them?"

Sighing, Rodney brought up the data on the monsters. He narrowed his eyes, wanting to throw the tablet away.

"No. These aren't the creatures I saw. What the hell is going on? We didn't even encounter the same thing. How can that be?"

"Maybe your experiences were different for a reason. Maybe the reasons you're having these nightmares is different than the Ancient's."

Rodney tossed the tablet onto the foot of the bed. He was left with more questions and it annoyed him. Sighing, he lay back in bed and stared up at the ceiling.

"There's a lot more data. Maybe you can sift through it."

He closed his eyes and tried not to growl in frustration. It would relieve the boredom if nothing else.

Grumbling, he pushed himself to a sitting position and picked up the computer. He scrolled through the endless data, hoping something would catch his attention.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

Rodney blinked at the screen, his eyes dry. He rubbed them then blinked them again. He glanced at his watch and realized he'd been reading through the data for twelve hours.

_I've been reading this all night. No wonder I'm tired._

Sighing, he set the laptop on the tray, shoving the plates from lunch to the side. He ran his hands over his face and rested his head against the pillow.

"Find anything?"

He opened his eyes to Jennifer's hopeful smile. He attempted a smile of his own, but it fell before it even crossed his face. He'd never felt so tired in his life.

He lifted the notepad on his right side. "I made some notes. I don't know what good they'll do."

"It's a start."

He scoffed and turned his gaze to the ceiling. He learned fast the journal the Ancient wrote on the drive was just the beginning. The Ancient had conducted his own experiments on the world he found himself in.

"You know this Ancient tried to conjure the monsters."

Jennifer's eyes widened. "Why would he want to do that? From what you told me, I wouldn't even want to see one, let alone make one appear."

Rodney shook his head. "He thought it was all in his head, so he thought he could make one appear. When it didn't work, he realized the place was real. He ran some tests on some of the monsters. He learned they're attracted to light and sound. Some even showed a level of intelligence."

"They're smart?"

He smirked. "About as smart as a rat in a maze. The Ancient turned out not to be very clever either. He trained a couple not to attack when the light was on. The creatures ended up attacking when the light was off. He ended up needing stitches."

"Anything that'll help put a stop to what's happening to you?"

Rodney dropped the notepad on the bed. "Nothing, yet. I'm beginning to think he never found his way back."

Jennifer took his hand in hers and squeezed it. "You don't know that."

He looked at her. The concern in her eyes sent an answering anxiety through him. He didn't want her to worry, but until he found a way to stop this, she would. He brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it.

"Maybe he did, but didn't write it down because he didn't see the point. He didn't want to be reminded."

He shook his head, hoping she was right. "I guess I'll just have to figure it out with the notes he did leave."

"You will, Rodney. You always do."

She smiled and kissed his forehead. "Get some sleep. You've been on that thing all night."

Rodney stared at the ceiling. "I know. I'll get right on that sleep."

"One more thing, Sheppard's chomping at the bit to return to that planet, so I guess I'll have to release you."

Excitement rushed through him. He sat up. "Really?"

"Really. I know the only reason you're not complaining is you've been occupied with that journal."

He couldn't help the smile crossing his face.

She rolled her eyes. "Tomorrow, Rodney. Get some sleep."

Still smiling, he closed his eyes and allowed sleep to take over.

~*~

They stepped through the gate and a chill came over Rodney. He shivered and glanced around. The fog hugged the ground, almost blocking out the DHD.

"Well, this is creepy." Unease seeped through John's voice.

"Very."

Rodney brought out the life signs detector and turned it on. Only four dots appeared on the screen.

"We're the only life signs."

"So far. Let's get going."

Sheppard led the way toward the forest. Rodney barely made out the trail he walked on. His heart thudded in his chest, trying to overtake the excitement building within him. It seemed the answers were close at hand, just waiting for him to discover them. He could almost taste it. He wanted to hurry across the field and into the forest. He felt if he didn't move fast enough, the answers would vanish along with all hope of finding a way to stop these nightmares.

"Slow down, McKay! I'm supposed to be in the lead."

Rodney stopped and looked up. The forest loomed ahead of him, motioning for him to enter. The others jogged toward him. He realized then he'd run ahead of them without stopping.

"Sorry."

Sheppard narrowed his eyes. "I know you want to find answers, but don't get ahead of yourself. We have no idea what's on this planet."

"Fine. Point taken." He motioned for Sheppard to take the lead once again.

Sheppard stepped by him. "Thank you."

Rodney rolled his eyes and sighed. He glanced at his life signs detector, but only the four dots blinked. Grumbling, he fell in step behind Teyla.

"We will learn the truth, do not worry."

"I know. I know, but it's in a real good hiding place right now."

"It can not hide for long."

He knew she was right, but it frustrated him. Nothing stayed hidden from him for very long.

_There has to be something here. _

They entered the forest and the silence grew. The fog made it difficult to see much past a couple of feet. If it wasn't for the fact they'd been here before, he doubted any of them would see the turn up ahead.

"The fog was not here the last time we were on this planet."

Rodney bit his tongue at Teyla's obvious remark. They were here to help him. Course, it never stopped him before.

_Concentrate on getting to that town. If it's even there._

They turned the bend in the road and the fog lifted revealing the fork in the road. Rodney's heart picked up its pace.

"This looks just like the dream when I found the town."

"Good. Maybe its still there."

Rodney checked the detector again, but nothing changed. He narrowed his eyes, wondering if the thing was broken.

_Or maybe there really is nothing here._

He searched their surroundings. "This is where two dog-like creatures attacked me."

"So where are they?" Skepticism dripped from Ronon's voice.

"Well, obviously not here. The life signs detector is still only picking us up."

The fog returned, slithering across the trail. Unease wrapped around him like the fog. Rodney tried to stare into the fog in an attempt to see the creatures coming, but saw nothing. Not even a sound made its way toward the small group. Frustration grew.

"This is getting ridiculous. I'd have been attacked three times by now."

"Maybe they do not like groups."

Rodney stared at Teyla. "They've attacked when I was with someone."

"That's one. She's talking about more than two."

He glared at Ronon, but said nothing. He turned his dark stare on the device in his hand. He wanted to throw it into the fog, but he had a feeling he'd need it.

"Keep you're voices down. We're coming upon the village."

Rodney glanced up. Sheppard slowed the pace to a crawl, his P-90 raised. Rodney's pulse sped. He listened to the silence surrounding them, hoping to hear something in the mist.

"I don't believe it." Sheppard's surprised voice caught Rodney's attention.

"What? What is it?" He moved to stand beside the Colonel.

"You're town."

Rodney's eyes widened. The fog cleared again revealing a long street with buildings on both sides. His stomach dropped at the sight.

"It's real. I don't believe it."

"Let's go. Keep your eyes open."

Sheppard took the lead again. It took Rodney a moment to realize they were on the move. Ronon pushed him forward. He caught his balance before he landed face first into the mud. He glared at Ronon, but the tall man only shrugged.

Grumbling, he followed. He couldn't get over how much it looked like the place in his visions. He'd truly been here. The cars looked the same, the buildings. He stared down the alleys, searching for the creatures.

_They have to be here somewhere. _

He gave up looking at the detector, knowing it wouldn't show anything. He stuffed it back in his jacket pocket and readied his P-90.

"Ronon, take Teyla and search that side of the street. Rodney you're with me."

Ronon twirled his gun. "What are we looking for?"

"Any clues that'll led to stopping my nightmares."

"Keep an eye out for those creatures."

"Right." Ronon motioned for Teyla to follow him. The two jogged across the street.

"There's a hotel here somewhere. I think it might hold some more clues."

Sheppard glanced at him. "Where is it?"

"Around the corner up here. I think."

"You think?"

"I've only been here in a dream. What I saw might not be true. You know dreams."

"Yeah." Sheppard shook his head and led the way down the street.

They were half-way down the deserted street when static blared from the radios. Rodney stared at his, smacking it to get it to turn off. It didn't.

"What the hell?"

"What's up with these radios?" Sheppard tapped his as well. "It won't turn off."

Movement from his right caught Rodney's attention. He aimed his P-90 into an alley. His jaw dropped.

The creature shuffled toward him. The thing looked more like an elongated torso with legs. Blood dripped from a slit in what Rodney could only guess was its head, leaving a trail behind the monster.

"Sheppard. I think I know why the radios are on."

Sheppard spun, facing the narrow passage. "Ok. I believe you."

The thing opened its mouth wide. A deep scream escaped it. Yellow gas burst from the being and headed straight toward them.

"Move!" Rodney grabbed Sheppard and took off down the street. He stopped when they were safe around the corner. He rested against the wall and closed his eyes.

"What was that?"

"Don't ask. That thing isn't even mentioned in the Ancient's journal. None of the creatures I've seen are."

He felt Sheppard's stare on him, but he ignored him. He wanted to catch his breath before that thing drew closer.

"Why are we standing here?"

He cracked an eye open. Sheppard peeked around the corner, aiming his gun toward the monster.

"Because the stupid thing is slow. It probably won't even come this way."

Sheppard faced him, determination in his eyes. "Where is that hotel?"

Rodney stepped away from the wall and pointed across the street. "That way."

"Let's go." Sheppard crossed the street, weapon raised.

Rodney took a breath and followed.

The static filled the silence once again. Rodney raised his weapon and slowly turned in a circle. Thanks to the fog, he couldn't see a damned thing.

"Where is it?"

A snarl broke the quiet and a heavy creature crashed into him, knocking him to the ground. His breath left him. Gunfire echoed and a yelp tore through the town. The weight left his stomach and he was able to breathe again. He took in large gulps of air. A hand filled his vision.

"Thanks."

Sheppard helped him to his feet. He turned and stared at a skinned dog.

"Let's get to that hotel."

Rodney shook his head. "Don't expect safety in there."

"Don't tell me. More monsters."

"I won't tell you then."

Sheppard's sigh turned into a grumble. Rodney couldn't blame him. He was still getting used to the fact this place was real. The real question was how?


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

Sheppard kicked in the locked door, the crash reverberating in Rodney's ears. They clicked on their lights and crept into the run down building.

"Did that newspaper clipping come from here?"

"Yes. There was also a note, but I didn't take it. I'm guessing there's more clues scattered through here."

Their lights danced down the hall toward the lobby. Rubble and dirt drifted toward the floor. The creak of old wood threatened over head.

"The stairs are over here." Rodney headed toward the staircase.

"I want to take a look over here."

Rodney sighed, his foot already on the first step. Rolling his eyes, he followed Sheppard toward the front desk.

"There wasn't anything there. IN fact, a body fell in front of us."

"That was your dream. Things might be different in reality."

Rodney sighed and ran a hand over his face. Things were very different in reality. They hadn't been attacked much unlike in his dream.

_Maybe Teyla was right and the creatures don't like groups._

"Where did you find that clipping?"

"In an apartment building."

Sheppard shone his light on the desk. Papers were scattered across the surface.

Rodney ruffled through them. Some he could barely read them, others weren't of any interest. One caught his attention.

"Look at this."

Using the light from Sheppard's P-90, Rodney read the piece of paper, a note scribbled in a hurry.

_I keep seeing them. _

_I don't know where they come from, but they're everywhere. _

_No place is safe._

"Well, that told us absolutely nothing." Rodney tossed the paper on the surface.

"It told us nowhere is safe."

Rodney rolled his eyes. "Let's go upstairs."

The stairs creaked under their footsteps. The noise echoed in his ears and he winced. He knew whatever was upstairs heard them. It was only a matter of time before it decided to attack them.

"Turn off your light."

"What?"

"Turn it off. They attack when they see the light."

"We won't be able to see a damn thing, Rodney."

He growled. "Turn it off."

They were quickly bathed in darkness. The hallway didn't have a signal window to let in the light outside. Rodney's heart pounded in his chest and he took a deep breath to calm himself. The urge to turn on his flashlight beat at him, but he ignored it.

"Happy now? I can't see a damn thing. What if we trip over something?"

"And you say I complain too much."

They crept down the corridor, listening for any signs of movement. All Rodney heard was their breathing.

He tried the first door on his left. The click broke the silence. He closed his eyes and waited for an attack. None came. He let out the breath he'd been holding and tried the next door.

"Just kick the door in."

_I'm going to break my foot._ He took a deep breath and slammed his foot against the door. A crack followed by a bang ricocheted through the hallway.

"Good. Can we turn the lights back on now?"

"Fine." He clicked his light on and stepped through the threshold.

A dirty mattress lay on the floor to his left. A bed frame lay upside down to his right. The floor looked unstable. One wrong move and he'd fall straight through.

"Careful. This place doesn't look sturdy."

"And you call me Captain Obvious."

Rodney stepped forward, but he couldn't see anything of interest. He made a move to leave when something on the floor near the dresser caught his eye.

"I think I found something." He crept toward it. His light illuminated a book with the word "diary" written on it. He bent down and picked it up.

Static from the radios shattered the silence. He spun, weapon raised. Sheppard's light shone on a hole in the wall. Buzzing came from the hole then three giant insects flew out.

"Crap!" Sheppard shouted and opened fire. Squeaks filled the room then the bugs dropped to the floor. Yellow goo sprayed the walls.

"I hate bugs."

"So you keep telling us." Rodney placed the book in his pocket. "Let's get out of here. See what else this place can tell us."

"What'd you find?"

"It's a diary. Hopefully it'll tell us something."

Sheppard nodded and led the way back into the hallway. A door slammed down the hall. They both jumped, but Sheppard continued down the corridor, his light pointing the way.

Dust trickled from the ceiling and a vase fell off its pedestal when he bumped into it. He jumped back and his light lit a painting. He stared at it, feeling drawn to it.

"Rodney!" Sheppard's whispered voice came to his ears, but he stepped toward the painting.

Full of dark colors, the picture oozed menace despite its cheerful scene. It depicted a lake with a sailboat in the middle. Two people stood in the foreground, holding hands. Despite the happiness, he shivered.

"Rodney." Sheppard spun him around. "We don't have time to sight see. Let's go."

Rodney blinked, but nodded. He trailed the Colonel, looking behind them in case a creature came up from behind. His light revealed nothing, except a messy corridor.

"Hey, a door that actually opens."

The creak of a door being pushed open caught his attention. He turned and jogged down the hallway to Sheppard.

A coppery scent drifted toward them. Rodney fought back the urge to gag and stepped into the room behind Sheppard. He moved his light around the room, revealing peeling paint and grimy stains.

"There's nothing here, but where the hell is that smell coming from?"

Rodney turned, his light falling on an empty stain covered bed. He stepped closer to the bed, the smell grew stronger.

"It's coming from here." He bent down to look under the bed. "Nothing under it."

"Help me move this."

Sheppard stood near a large dresser by the wall. He blinked at him, but strolled toward him.

"Why?"

"The smell's coming from here too."

"I think it's in your nose."

"Shut up and help me."

Rodney sighed, but helped slide the dresser away from the wall. Sheppard pointed his light at the wall, revealing a hole.

"What the hell?"

"The smell is coming from there."

Rodney refrained from rolling his eyes, but it was difficult. He ducked under the broken wood and into another room. He shone his light and his radio came alive with static.

"Oh, hell."

"What is it?" Sheppard moved him out of the way and stepped into the room.

"There's something in here." He swung his light to his left. A figure stepped out of the darkness. Its shuffling feet was the only sound it made. It crept toward the light, its movement jerky. Scratches marred its face. A knife caught the light, sending it back into his eyes.

"What the hell is that?" Sheppard's light joined his.

"I don't care to know." He pulled the trigger, riddling the thing with bullets.

The creature shrieked, stumbled back then fell to the floor with a thud. He stared at it then shone his light behind it, waiting for more to come.

Rodney moved further into the room, Sheppard took the left side while he took the right. The silence grew deafening, but the doorway into the room remained empty.

Relaxing a little, he turned to explore the room. Unlike the others it remained intact. Dirt and grim covered the walls and furniture. The smell that brought them in here had faded away. The single bed stood against the wall under a window.

"There's nothing in here." Sheppard's voice dripped disappointment and annoyance.

"Try the bathroom."

The door creaked opened. "I think I found where the smell is coming from."

Rodney strode across the room to stand beside Sheppard. He glanced into the bathroom and gagged. He covered his nose. Rust and blood smeared the white tiles. The majority of the blood coated the broken toilet.

"What happened in here?"

"Don't ask me. I think its time we left here." Sheppard moved to the front door, but a click filled the silence.

"Damn door is locked. We're going have to go back through the hole."

"Goody." Rodney stepped into the bathroom drawn to the medicine cabinet over the sink. It fell, shattering against the sink.

"Rodney, what the hell was that?"

"Sorry."

"Quit playing and let's go."

He glanced behind him. Sheppard glared at him, motioning for him to follow him. He turned back to the cabinet, his gaze falling on necklace. He'd seen it before, but couldn't place it. Taking a deep breath, he reached in and pulled it out.

"Let's go, McKay."

Rodney stuffed the necklace in his pants pocket then followed Sheppard into the other room and out into the corridor.

"Let's see what the others found out." Sheppard led the way down the hall, lights dancing on the walls.

The radios went off again and Rodney spun. His light caught movement.

"Oh crap. I think we're going to have to run."

"That's going to be a problem."

He looked behind him and saw what Sheppard meant. The Colonel's light revealed another creature coming up the stairs.

"Perfect. Just how I wanted to spend my day."

"Just shoot them, McKay."

"Right." Rodney faced the creature coming down the corridor. It was the same type of being he shot in the room. It moved toward him at a quicker pace, startling him. He opened fire at the same time as Sheppard. The monster fell to the ground.

"Now, we can get out of here." Sheppard took off down the stairs.

They entered the lobby and took a left. The doors to the hotel stood open, letting in light from outside. In the middle of the hallway waddled another monster.

"Won't this place let up?" Rodney griped in annoyance.

The monster hissed with each step it took. It towered over both of them, its black coat wrapped around it like a second skin. Hatred glowed red in its eyes, its white hair hung like string over its pale face.

"Damn thing's a Wraith!"

Rodney rolled his eyes. "Told you."

The Wraith raised it hand and hissed. In the center of the palm another mouth snapped.

"Sh-!" Bullets flew from Sheppard's gun.

The Wraith danced in the corridor, took a step then fell to the ground.

"Wonder what else we're going to run into."

Rodney stepped into the corridor. "We'll find out soon enough."

He came up to the creature, but before he could pass it, the thing grabbed his ankle. He yelped in surprise and filled the thing full of bullets. Black blood splashed the walls and floor. He yanked his foot from the Wraith's grasp and stumbled back.

"Why didn't you warn me?"

Sheppard shrugged. "You're the one with the experience here."

Grumbling, Rodney led the way out of the hotel. He breathed in the fresh air, glad to be out of that place.

"Ronon, Teyla, are you there?"

"We are here, John. Where are you?"

"Over by a hotel. We're heading back to the gate."

"We'll meet up with you on the way."

"Good. Sheppard out."

Sheppard led the way down the street. "How's your ammo?"

Rodney pulled out the magazine and grimaced. "Less than half. How about you?"

"Let's just say, we better not meet anything else."

"Great."

The fog gathered around their feet and blocked their vision of what could be up ahead. Unease wrapped itself around Rodney, threatening to squeeze him. He turned in a slow circle, searching the shadows and mist for creatures. With not much ammo left, it'd be just his luck if something attacked now.

"This way." They turned a corner and two figures moved up ahead. "Ronon, Teyla, is that you?"

"Yes, John." One of the figures waved toward them. "Can you see us?"

"Yes. Stay there. We're coming toward you."

Sheppard picked up his pace and Rodney followed. He thought it was dangerous to jog in this soup, but he didn't complain. He wanted out of here and back at Atlantis. He still didn't know how this town could be here in the middle of the Pegasus galaxy.

_Maybe the journal I found has the answers. _

The even bigger question was the necklace. Who did it belong to and why did look so familiar?

Two figures stepped out of the fog and Rodney breathed a sigh of relief to see Ronon and Teyla.

"Find anything?" Sheppard asked.

Ronon shook his head. "Most of these buildings are locked or boarded up."

"He kicked down a door to a restaurant, but there was not anything worth mentioning inside."

"Half-eaten food and some creature crawling on the ground."

"Was it a bug?"

Teyla stared at him he'd grown another head. "It had a human shape."

"We found a journal and a necklace."

"We can play debriefing later," Sheppard bit out. "Right now let's get the hell out of here."

"No argument there." Rodney couldn't wait to leave.

Sheppard led the way down the street toward the forest. The fog began to lighten as they made their way out. The radios didn't burst with static and Rodney began to relax a little.

_We're really going to make it out of this alive. I can't wait to read this journal. I hope it tells me more than the Ancient's did._

He took a glance behind him. The fog swallowed the town, hiding it from view. He shivered in remembrance and picked up his pace. He wanted to get as far from it as possible. He had a feeling, though he'd see it again if he didn't figure out how to put a stop to it.

The fog dissipated the further into the forest they went. The day remained gray and cloudy, threatening rain. Rodney breathed the crisp air.

"That's better."

"I can not believe such a place existed. What was it?"

"Silent Hill. I found a newspaper clipping the last time I was there."

"But it was a dream." Teyla sounded both skeptical and surprised. "How can that be?"

He turned his gaze on her. "I'm going to figure that out. Hopefully the journal we found will shed some light in that department."

Several minutes later, but what seemed like hours, they left the forest and hiked across the field toward the gate. Rodney never thought he'd be so happy to see it.

"Finally." He picked up his pace, not caring if he left the others behind in his wake. Sheppard didn't say anything and he figured they were all happy to see the gate.

He reached the DHD first and dialed Atlantis. The gate activated and he smiled.

"I never thought I'd miss seeing that."

Water rushed out of the circle and settled into a blue horizon. Rodney couldn't keep the smile off his face.

"Let's go, people. We're going home."

Sheppard took the lead into the gate. Rodney jogged into it and was whisked away to the other side.

He stumbled out of the gate into dimness. He blinked as the others turned on their lights.

"Is it someone's birthday?" He turned on his and shone it around the Gateroom. His stomach dropped.

Blood and rust stained the once pristine tiles. The debris blocked the entrance to the Gateroom. Crimson entrails strangled the steps leading up into the control room.

"What the hell?" Sheppard couldn't have said it any better.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

"This isn't Atlantis." Ronon turned in a slow circle, his gun raised. "Where are we?"

Rodney shook his head, not believing what he saw. "I thought this was only in my dreams. How did we get here?"

Sheppard stepped in front of him. "Obviously, it wasn't a dream. It's real. What we do now is figure out how to get back to our Atlantis."

He knew Sheppard was right. They needed to get back. He went into his jacket and brought out the journal.

"I need to read this. My lab is too far, so let's hole up in the office."

"Right. Ronon, take the rear. Shoot anything that moves."

Ronon smiled. "Glad to."

"Let's go." Sheppard led the way up the bloody stairs.

Rodney winced with each step._ I don't want to know what this is. Talk about déjà vu. _

Creatures didn't attack them and he was grateful. The windows of the office were shattered. Glass littered the floor. Half the desk rested against the far wall while the other half rested in a window. Blood painted the walls.

"They need to fire their decorator."

One chair remained standing in the center of the room. Rodney sat and opened the book.

"Don't take you time." Sheppard warned.

Rodney glared at him through his lashes. "I'm not going to."

Sheppard shook his head and guarded what remained of the doorway. Rodney cast his gaze to the diary.

_Day One_

_My name is David James. The year is 2003. It was September when I came here. I don't know what month it is now. The fog never lets up and the sun doesn't shine. _

_I came here hoping to find some answers. I kept dreaming about this place. I went to a doctor in hopes of getting some help, but nothing worked. Coming here was my last hope. I found this empty journal in a deserted home and decided to write down what I've learned and found. _

Metal scraping against metal brought him out of the chronicle. The others in the room heard it as well by the way they stood, guns aimed.

"Keep reading, McKay."

"I like to see you try to read with that noise."

Sheppard glared at him and in that expression, Rodney knew he'd better continue reading. He sighed, sat back down, and read.

_Day Five_

_I ran into another creature. I have no idea where they come from or what they want. This one appeared human, but it didn't have arms or a face. It spat acid at me. I was able to kill it with a pipe I found in an alley. I don't know what's going on here, but I'm going to find out. I found a note speaking about a cult. I'm going to see if they're still here and if they have the answers._

_Day Seven_

_I holed up in this hotel. The fog is so thick, I can't see anything. A dog, at least I think it was a dog, attacked me. I shot it with the gun I found in a bar on the other side of town. I haven't found the cult, but I did find a book that might have been theirs. After reading it, I don't think I want to find these people, even if they are still here._

The scraping stopped, but a new noise broke him out of reading. Their radios were loud in the silence and his heart skipped a beat.

"I don't like the sound of that."

Rodney glared at Sheppard. "Get used to it."

"What'd you learn?"

"There was a cult. This David James found a book of theirs."

"A cult. Good. Anything else, like what's in the book or where it is?"

"Your sarcasm is showing. No."

Sheppard raised an eyebrow. "Then keep reading."

Rodney sighed, rolled his eyes, then went back to reading.

_Day Ten_

Gunfire made him jump. He fell backward in the chair and landed on his back. He pushed himself to a sitting position.

"What the hell is going on?"

He leaped to his feet and headed to the glassless window. Two monsters shuffled toward the stairs. A red ball of light zipped toward them, hitting one in the head. It stumbled, tried to right itself, but it slammed into a column. The other continued on up the stairs.

"Damn it." Rodney pulled out his 9mm and headed toward the stairs.

"McKay!"

He didn't look back. He stalked across the bridge and aimed his gun down the stairs. The creature gurgled as it made its way up the steps. The head peeked over and Rodney squeezed the trigger. Two bullets struck the monster. It shrieked, took two more steps up, and he fired again. It fell over onto the third step below his feet.

"What the hell are you thinking?" Sheppard grabbed his arm and spun him around.

He yanked his arm from the Colonel's grasp. "Killing the thing. What's it look like?"

"Getting yourself killed. You're supposed to be reading that damn journal. Let us handle the creatures."

"I'm the one with the experience in this place, remember? I can handle myself."

Sheppard narrowed his eyes. "Get back in there and read."

Rodney rammed his gun back in its holster. He stomped back into the office, righted the chair, grabbed the journal and sat.

_Idiots. _

_Day Ten_

_I explored the town again searching for more evidence of why I've been having these dreams. I realized I've been here before when I was younger. It used to be a resort. Finding the lake brought back memories. I went there with my family for vacation one year. I found an old picture of me at the lake. I lost it when we moved. Maybe that's why I'm here and been having the dreams. I need to find more._

_Day Eleven_

_I thought I saw my sister in the fog. I went after her, but when I turned the corner, she wasn't there. What is she doing here? I thought she was in Texas. _

Rodney stared at the entry. Did this David James see someone that wasn't supposed to be there as well? How many other people have experienced this? Was it common? Why did it happen?

"He was seeing people as well."

Sheppard looked at him. "What?"

"He saw his sister. I've been seeing Elizabeth. There has to be a connection and a reason."

Teyla stepped toward him, concern shone in her dark eyes. "How come we haven't seen Elizabeth?"

Rodney shrugged. "I don't know."

"Then keep reading." It was Ronon's deep voice this time.

"Reading."

_Day Thirteen_

_I saw Jessica again. I chased her into a school, but she disappeared. I explored the building only to be attacked by more monsters. I was able to kill them with an axe. I searched the rooms and found a picture of my sister and I. It was us at the lake as teenagers. I don't remember taking it. _

_Day Fifteen_

_I found where the cult had its headquarters. They're not there anymore. I don't think they've been there in decades. I discovered their notes and rituals and realized they might be the reason the town looks the way it does. I need to find Jessica and get out of here._

_Day Seventeen_

_I chased Jessica into a church. I followed her into the basement where she disappeared. I have no idea how she's doing it, but its impossible. I wasn't that far behind her. _

_The basement was one long tunnel opening finally into hell. It was Silent Hill, but it wasn't. Everything was covered in blood and rust. I saw Jessica again and ran after her. I found myself in a rust covered bathroom. A creature came at me with a knife. I grabbed the nearest weapon and killed it. _

_I escaped the bathroom and into a desolated church. The place was falling apart, but I made my way upstairs where I found a monster that looked so much like Jessica, I couldn't believe it. She attacked me after accusing me of killing her. The only thing I could do was defend myself. _

An icy chill slithered down Rodney's spine and he stopped reading. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath.

_Is that why I'm being haunted by Elizabeth? Does she accuse me of something?_

The only way to answer that was to ask her, but he didn't believe that'd been any time soon. He glanced at the others guarding the way into the room. They were all stuck here until he finished the journal and discovered a way to stop this.

_Right. Keep reading, McKay. We're getting somewhere._

A scream destroyed the calm silence. Rodney jumped out of his seat, dropping the memoir to the floor.

"I'm not going to get anywhere with these constant interruptions!"

He stalked toward the windows and looked down into the Gateroom. He didn't see anything. The scream echoed again. It sounded closer.

Movement in the control room caught his attention. He smacked Sheppard's shoulder and pointed across the way. The flashlight cast its light on a monster that looked too much like Elizabeth.

"My God." Sheppard's whisper said it all.

Blood smeared the middle of the white dress. She walked with an eerie grace. Crimson dotted her lovely face.

"Believe me now."

"Yes." Sheppard stepped away from the window and hurried toward the bridge. The creature strolled toward the bridge, but stopped when she saw Sheppard.

"Who are you? What do you want?"

The creature took a step, but Sheppard raised his gun. "Don't move!"

She pointed at Rodney. His heart skipped a beat, his feet refused to move. He stared at her, his throat dry.

Sheppard glanced at him then back to the Elizabeth creature.

"Why?"

She took another step on to the bridge. Sheppard opened fire. A scream tore through the city, but it didn't come from the being. Blood splashed on the floor and the creature fell face first.

"What the hell is going on?" Sheppard faced Rodney. "Did you learn anything from that damn journal?"

"David James saw his sister and chased her all over the town. He found a monster that looked just like her in the attic of a church. It attacked him and he killed it."

"You're saying this place can read minds?"

"I have no idea. He believed a cult caused all this."

Sheppard closed the gap between them in two steps. "Where is this cult?"

"He didn't find them."

Sheppard flung his arms out. "Great. Does it say anything about getting the hell out of here?"

"I haven't read that far."

"We're through reading. We're going to find our own way out of here."

Sheppard jogged across the bridge into the control room. Rodney sighed and followed. He came around to stand over the DHD console. He took a deep breath and dialed out.

"Where are we going this time?" Ronon asked.

"We're going back and trying it again."

The gate activated giving off a hazy blue light. He watched it turn, hopes soaring. Sparks shot out from the console and he jumped back. The gate turned dark.

Rodney looked at the others, despair rising in him. "We can't dial out."

"Damn it!" Sheppard kicked out producing a mushy thunk in the process. He stared down at the floor, his flashlight illuminating what he hit.

A body, or what was left of one, lay on the floor. Blood pooled around it. Rodney didn't know if it was male or female. It resembled a pile of flesh more than an actual body.

Teyla gagged and stepped away. Ronon aimed his gun at the surrounding shadows. Rodney closed his eyes and fought the urge to puke.

"That's gross."

"Thanks for that. I wouldn't have realized that on my own."

Sheppard raised an eyebrow at him, but said nothing. The group left the control room and headed down the back stairs.

"Where to, Rodney?"

"Jumper bay. A jumper should still have a workable DHD."

"Do the transporters still work?"

Rodney stared at Teyla. "We're about to find out."

They hurried across the open area toward the nearest transporter. Sheppard ran his hand over the controls and to Rodney's relief, the doors opened.

"Let's hope it'll hold us."

They piled in and Sheppard touched the location of the jumper bay on the map. The doors whooshed closed and a second later, they were in the jumper bay.

Pitch blackness surrounded them. They turned their flashlights on, lighting the gloom. Rust speckled the jumpers. The walls seemed to breathe.

Rodney swung his light on the walls and saw why. Large slug-like creatures crawled across the surface. A thick silver slug splattered in front of him. He stepped on it, spreading its guts all over the floor.

"Come on."

Rodney tore his eyes from the mess and followed the others toward the nearest jumper. The ramp stood open as if waiting for them. Fear drew its icy fingers across his spine. He shivered, but stepped up the ramp and into the jumper.

Sheppard sat in the pilot's seat and the console's light sputtered on. Rodney sat beside him and typed on the keys. The ramp struggled to close, but finally slammed shut.

"I have the jumper bay doors opening. We should float into the Gateroom and I'll dial the gate."

Sheppard started the jumper. It sputtered, but slowly floated down into the Gateroom. Rodney's heart hammered in his chest at the sight of the dark gate. Taking a deep breath, he slapped the symbols on the DHD.

The gate activated again. This time the water rushed out and back in.

"It's stable. Go!"

"Going."

The jumper dove into the horizon and burst out on the other side. The fog spread out below them, covering every inch of the field and forest.

"That's a lot of fog." Rodney didn't think he'd ever seen that much fog in his life.

"All right, Rodney, what now?"

"Turn back to the gate and let's do this again."

Sheppard turned the jumper to face the gate. Rodney pushed the buttons again. Sparks shot out from the console. He covered his face and pulled back as far as the chair would let him.

"Great, the power's gone. We're going down. Hang on!"

The ground raced to meet the jumper, but Sheppard controlled the descent as best he could. They landed hard, jostling everyone and everything in the jumper. Objects crashed to the floor and Rodney found himself between the seats. He pushed himself to his feet and looked out the windscreen.

"This is getting annoying."

"It's beyond annoying." Sheppard climbed out of his seat, wincing. "Everyone all right?"

"We are unharmed." Teyla rubbed the back of her head.

Ronon pushed himself to his feet, glaring at Rodney.

Rodney examined the console. Scorch marks covered the DHD console. He bent to inspect underneath. He pulled out some crystals.

"Can you fix it?"

"Not without new ones. These are fried."

"Great. We're not going anywhere for awhile."

"I'm not staying here." Ronon turned and strode toward the ramp. "Open this thing."

"Can't. That's shot as well. You're going to have to wait."

"Can you fix that?"

Rodney glared up at Sheppard. "Yes. Give me a moment."

"Not good enough." Ronon pulled out his gun and shot the ramp. The gun blew a hole in the door, revealing the fog outside.

"What the hell was that?" Rodney pushed himself to his feet. "I said I'll fix it."

"Every minute we waste here is less time we have to find a way back to Atlantis."

He jumped out of the jumper before anyone could protest. Rodney stared wide-eyed at Sheppard.

"All right, grab what you can carry and let's go."

Teyla grabbed a med kit. Sheppard opened a compartment in the floor and pulled out a large box. He opened it and tossed them new clips.

Rodney snatched an extra flash light from the overhead and some rations. He tore into a Powerbar not realizing until now how hungry he was.

He groaned in pleasure at the taste. "That's good."

"Let's go."

Rodney swallowed and followed the two out of the jumper. Ronon hadn't gone far when they caught up with him. He stood at the entrance to the forest.

"I saw something." He pointed into the forest. "It looked like a person. I couldn't tell."

"You didn't follow it?" Surprise filled Sheppard's voice.

"Thought I'd wait for you."

Sheppard nodded. He led the way into the forest which seemed to have gotten quieter as if it held its breath, waiting. Unease washed through Rodney. Anything could come out of the woods now.

_I don't like this. Something's going to happen._

The silence grew deafening until he couldn't take it anymore. He opened his mouth to say anything when the bushes beside him rustled. He pointed his P-90 at the vegetation.

"Did you hear that?"

"What is it?"

Rodney didn't say anything. Several images appeared in his mind from skinned dogs to Elizabeth herself. His breathing increased, but he fought the panic rising within him.

A figure burst out of the bushes and slammed into him. He fell backwards into the dirt. Growling and snarling came from above him. He opened his eyes to face a dog without eyes. It fangs snapped at him in an attempt to tear his face off. He couldn't get his gun raised to shoot it.

The creature yelped and fell to its side. He shoved the monster off and pushed himself to a sitting position. He ran his hands over his face and took deep steadying breathes.

"Thanks." His voice sounded more of a whisper. _I can't let this place get to me. It's what it wants. I can beat this._

"Come on, Rodney." Teyla's warm hands lifted him to his feet.

"Right. Let's look for that church. I have a feeling we might find some answers there."

"Did the journal happen to mention where it is?"

Rodney scoffed. "No. I dropped it back at the weird Atlantis."

"Wonderful. Let's hope we can find a map to this place."

Sheppard took the lead down the trail, gun pointed into the mist. Rodney took out his life signs detector, but it only showed the four of them. He shook his head and stuffed it back into his pocket. The thing was as useful as a dead battery.

The fog lifted once they entered the town. The place was still as death and just as quiet.

Sheppard headed toward the right and across the street. Rusted cars stood on the side of the street waiting forever for their owners.

They hurried down the street, keeping an eye out for monsters.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

The church loomed over them, dark and menacing. Rodney stared up at it, the fingers of unease whispered over his body. The fog didn't help as it wrapped around the building.

John sighed. "I guess no building in this town is cheery. Let's go."

Rodney forced one foot in front of the other. Dread weighed on him and he tightened his grip on his gun. He climbed the steps up to the large wooden doors.

Sheppard pushed the doors open and a cool blast hit them. Rodney turned his flashlight on and pointed it into the darkness.

"Looks empty."

Sheppard turned his light on and led the way into the cavernous building. Rows of pews lined the way to a large altar. An old book lay open on top.

Rodney set his gun to the side and examined the pages. "This is probably what David James found concerning the cult. There are rituals in here to bring about some kind of deity."

"That doesn't sound good."

He shook his head, flipping through the pages. "No, it doesn't. Doesn't look like there's anything else in this book."

"Spread out, look for anything that'll tell us what the hell is going on and how to get back."

Ronon and Teyla headed for the left side of the building. Rodney picked up his gun and followed Sheppard behind the altar. An open door stood in the shadows to their right. Their flashlights couldn't penetrate the darkness inside. A flicker of apprehension coursed through him.

"Who wants to go first?" Rodney winced at the whisper of fear in his voice.

Sheppard stepped forward, his light leading the way. The blackness in the room retreated, revealing a lamp against the wall on their left. He strode further into the room, Rodney following.

Out of habit, Rodney attempted to turn on the light, but he received only a click for his troubles. Sighing, he swung his light around the room.

"Looks like an office." Sheppard's voice came from further in the room.

The lights exposed paintings on the peeling wall, a couch below the pictures, and a desk taking up space beneath a large window in front of them. A bookcase stood against the wall on their left. Light from outside filtered through the dirty window.

Rodney strode toward the desk. "Let's see what's in here."

Chipped brown paint dotted the desk's surface. He pulled open the top left hand drawer. Nothing. Grumbling, he opened the right hand drawer.

His hands brushed a thick notepad. "Bingo!"

He brought it out and placed it on the desk. Sheppard's light shone on the notepadd, displaying a map of the church. He leaned forward, scanning the drawing. The upper right hand corner caught his attention.

"There's writing here."

"What's it say?"

He squinted to read better. "It says 'girl held here'. What the hell does that mean?"

"Let's go find out. Bring the map."

Rodney rolled his eyes, but ripped the map from the notepad.

"Looks like its upstairs."

"Then upstairs we go."

They left the room, turned to their left and headed up the stairs. The steps creaked, announcing their presence to anything else in the building.

The ragged dark blue carpet muffled their footsteps. Rodney glanced at the map, then pointed in the direction of the room the girl had been held. Their radios burst with static when they turned a corner.

"Great." Sheppard's light caught a figure in the corridor. "Company."

Rodney's heart skipped a beat. Gray in color, the monster towered over both of them. Its long muscular arms ended in curved talons, stained with blood. Its head protruded from between its long legs. It swung its arms wide. Sheppard and Rodney ducked. The arms slammed into the wall, sending wood flying.

"I really hate this." Rodney straightened and emptied his P-90 into the monster. The creature stumbled back, swung its arms again, but he jumped back.

The thing flipped itself over and spun around, swinging its legs. Sheppard and Rodney ducked again. Gunfire reverberated in the corridor as the two opened fire. The beast stumbled some more and fell onto its back. Sheppard hurried toward it and fired two more shots.

Rodney rested back against the wall, exhaustion overcoming his fear. He slid to the floor, pulled out his empty clip and shoved another back in.

"You all right?"

"I'm getting tired of this."

Sheppard helped him to his feet. "Then let's find this room and hope it leads out of here."

Rodney didn't think the room led to the way out of this mess, nothing did so far.

_It couldn't hurt to find out about this room. Anything was better than stumbling around fighting monsters._

He glanced at the map then pointed down the corridor. "The last door on the right."

They crept down the hallway to the door. Rodney pressed himself against the wall. The room behind Sheppard didn't have a door. He shone his light inside to get a jump on any monsters trying to sneak up on them.

"Ready?"

He nodded, keeping his gaze on the dark room behind them. The knob rattled. Sheppard stepped back and rammed his foot into the door. It splintered and crashed to the floor.

"Took care of that."

"Right. Let's go." Sheppard eased into the room, his light brightening the room.

Rodney slipped inside, pointing his light in the opposite direction. A blood covered vanity complete with rusty mirror stood up against the far wall. The scent of mold and mildew filled his nose. A bed cluttered with frayed stuffed animals and pillows rested across from the vanity. A sense of sadness came over him followed by a need to leave.

"This place is a mess."

Rodney rolled his eyes. "No kidding."

Pushing away his discomfort, he moved to the vanity. Only a dingy brush rested on top. He opened the drawers, but found most of them empty. Frustrated, he slammed the last one back in place.

"This is getting us nowhere. Why the hell is a note written on the map if it's worthless?"

"Maybe it's a reminder."

"Oh, well, that explains everything." Moving away from the vanity, he shone his light on the wall. A door seemed to appear out of nowhere.

"Look at this." He strode toward the door.

Sheppard added his light to the illumination on the door. Taking a deep breath, he turned the knob. It turned without trouble and he pulled the door open. He shone his light inside and his mouth dropped open at what he found.

"It's a hallway."

"I didn't expect that."

Rodney looked at the Colonel sideways. "You were expecting a closet?"

Sheppard shrugged. "Weren't you?"

He scoffed and looked into the corridor. Devoid of doors, it seemed to go on forever. If a monster attacked them in here, they'd have nowhere to go. Anxiety built within him, but he took a deep breath to calm himself.

"Let's go into the nice dark creepy tunnel."

Sheppard stepped into the corridor, keeping the darkness at bay with his flashlight. Rodney followed, making sure a creature didn't follow them in. The door slammed shut, causing both of them to jump.

"Guess we won't have to worry about monsters coming from behind."

"Unless they know how to open doors."

Rodney rolled his eyes. "You have to go and ruin my attempt at optimism."

"You're welcome."

He shook his head and turned around. The walls of the corridor peeled with chipped paint revealing stone underneath. He reached out and touched the cold stone in surprise.

"The walls aren't wood."

"What?"

"Before we came in here, the walls were wood. Now they're concrete with chipped paint."

Sheppard pointed his light at the left wall. "You're right. How'd that happen?"

Rodney didn't want to know. "Let's keep moving. There has to be an exit."

The hallway seemed to get colder with each step. He shivered, but kept moving. He turned, shining his light back down the hall. The door they just came through had vanished. His eyes widened.

"We can't go back."

"What?"

"The door. It's gone."

Sheppard's light joined his. "Crap."

Rodney swallowed. "It seems something wants us to go through this tunnel."

"Then let's keep going."

Sighing, Rodney followed Sheppard down the long hallway. When would this thing end? Where were they going?

Their footsteps banged in the silence. He shone his flashlight down and saw why. The floor had somehow turned into metal.

"What the hell?"

"I don't need to hear anymore bad news, Rodney."

Rodney shook his head, blinked several times, and picked up his pace to catch up to Sheppard. They turned a corner and came across a large metal door.

Relief flooded him. The tension spilled out of him causing him to slump on his feet. "Finally."

"I wouldn't break out the champagne just yet."

Red light bathed the door in eerie illumination. The rust on the door resembled blood. A wheel-in the center of the door-seemed to be the doorknob.

"We'll have to go through there."

Sheppard placed his gun around his arm and turned the wheel. A rusted metal screech echoed through the hallway and Rodney winced. A click followed and Sheppard pushed the door open.

A huge circular room extended before them. Pools of blood dotted the floor, scraps of metal made up the walls. A metallic aroma filled the air.

A door stood on the other side of the room.

"I get a feeling we're only going to get half way before something happens."

Sheppard stared at him. "What makes you say that?"

"You never saw a horror movie?"

Sheppard shook his head and led the way into the large room. Rodney followed shining his flashlight on the walls then the floor. He didn't want to be caught off guard if something did show itself.

His light fell on an axe propped against the wall to his right. He stared at it. "What's that doing here?"

"Keep moving, McKay."

Grumbling, he swung the light forward and continued on. His foot squished in one of the various puddles of blood. He squeezed his eyes shut in disgust.

"Come on, McKay!"

The floor rumbled under his feet. He opened his eyes. The room shook and it was a struggle to keep his balance.

"Hit the deck." Sheppard flattened himself on the ground.

"Great. Face first in blood. What else could go wrong?"

A piece of metal clanked to the ground. Rodney stumbled back and onto his rear. He lied on his back as the room continued to shake.

Movement above him caught his attention. He shone his light up at it and it screamed.

"Sheppard, we have company!"

The shaking stopped and the creature jumped from the ceiling. Rodney scrambled to his feet, aiming his P-90 at the monster. Dressed in black, the fiend towered above him. Its pale face held a mouth of jagged teeth. Its bottom jaw fell open and an ear shattering scream tore through the room.

"Head for the door!" Sheppard shouted.

Rodney turned and raced after Sheppard. The monster roared behind him, shaking the room. Footsteps pounded after them and Rodney picked up his pace.

Sheppard arrived at the door. Rodney turned and opened fire on the creature. It screamed and swung its arms, knocking him out of the way. He flew across the room, hitting the wall. He dropped to the floor, groaning.

He shook his head to clear the cloudiness. The monster roared again and swiped at Sheppard. The Colonel ducked and opened fire. Rodney pushed himself to his feet and shot the creature from behind.

The fiend didn't go down. It slammed Sheppard into the door. Heart racing, Rodney tore back across the room to the axe. He saw it up against the wall on his left. He headed toward it, the monster's footsteps thundering behind him.

"This better work." He lifted the axe and faced the creature.

It took a swing at him, but he ducked out of the way. He swung the axe, digging into the calf. It cried out and took a step back. He swung again and again, pushing the creature back toward Sheppard.

Breathing heavily, he swung the axe and lopped the calf off. It flew through the air, striking the wall on the far side of the room. He jumped to the side as the monster fell to the ground. The room shook, knocking him off balance. He stumbled back, but didn't fall.

The monster, its long hair in its face, struggled to its knees. Rodney brought the axe down its back, slicing deep into muscle.

Movement out of the corner of his eye altered him to Sheppard's position. "Get the door open!"

He ripped the axe from the monster's back and brought it down again, taking the creature's head off.

"It's open."

Rodney dropped the axe and stepped away from the fiend. Exhaustion made his feet heavy. He stared at the creature, wanting nothing more than to curl up and sleep.

"Come on, McKay!"

Groaning, Rodney forced his feet to carry him toward Sheppard and the exit.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen**

Sheppard slammed the door and Rodney slumped against the wall. He closed his eyes and took several deep breathes to calm his racing heart.

"What the hell was that?"

_The ongoing question of the week. _Rodney cracked an eye open. "My guess was a giant Wraith. Why do I get the feeling I've said something like that before?"

Sheppard rolled his eyes, checked his ammo then motioned for Rodney to follow. Sighing, Rodney shoved himself from the wall and trudged down the corridor. The hallway resembled the one they'd just been through right down to the metal flooring.

"Oh, we better not have started over."

"Just keep moving."

Thankfully, the corridor ended before insanity set in. The door squeaked open into another room. Candlelight fluttered across the walls causing shadows to dance across a ruffled bedspread.

"Well, isn't this nice." Rodney couldn't help, but say.

Sheppard grunted, but stepped into the bedroom. The door clicked closed behind them leaving them enclosed in the small space.

Rodney moved to the dresser the candle sat on. "Someone must still be here if this is lit."

"I don't want to wait around and find out. We're getting out of here."

Sheppard went to the door. It rattled in the silence. "Locked. How the hell are we to get out of here?"

"Why don't you kick the door down?" Rodney opened a drawer.

"Funny. Why not I don't save your butt next time?"

Rodney glared at him. "I believe I just saved yours back there."

"Just search for a key."

"What do you think I'm doing?" Rodney shoved the empty drawer closed and searched through another. He opened the bottom one and uncovered not just a key, but another map and note. "Found something."

He handed the key to Sheppard and examined the map and note.

"I hope that shows the way out of here."

"It's a map of another building. Looks like a house."

"A house we're not going to. We're heading back to Atlantis."

"How? The jumper's shot."

Sheppard stared at him. "You're going to fix it."

Rodney rolled his eyes. "Here we go again."

"What's the note say?" Sheppard stepped toward the door and inserted the key.

"'I found the secret in the house. I need to go back there.'"

The lock clicked and Sheppard opened the door. He looked back at Rodney, an annoyed expression on his face.

"We have to go to the house? Is that what its saying?"

Rodney stared at the note. He didn't want to be in this town any longer, but they couldn't go anywhere at the moment. The jumper might not work, but the DHD in front of the gate should.

"We only used the jumper because its DHD still worked. The DHD here should as well."

"Then let's go." Sheppard led the way into a hallway.

A staircase, located on their left, lead down into darkness. Sheppard hurried down it, his flashlight pointed toward the bottom. Rodney followed, stuffing the map into his pocket. He jumped the last step and rushed after Sheppard.

Lights from their right, blinded them.

"John, is that you?"

Sheppard raised his hand to shield his eyes. "Yes, it's us."

"We've been trying to reach you. Where have you been?"

Rodney's usual snark kicked back in, surprising him. "Locked in a large room with a giant Wraith."

"Did you find anything?" Teyla asked.

"We found a map to a house."

"We're not going there are we? I'm getting sick of this place."

Sheppard shook his head. "We're going back to the gate. Its DHD should work. Hopefully."

"Let's find the way out of here." Ronon headed toward their left into the shadows.

Rodney rolled his eyes. "Who are we following now?"

Sheppard smacked the back of his head, but he only glared at the Colonel. Holding back a tirade, he followed the others out of the church.

"Does the sun ever shine here?" Sheppard griped.

"I doubt it." Rodney scanned their surroundings. The fog seemed to have grown thicker, wrapping everything in its embrace. A shiver slithered down his back.

Howling came from their right, but with the fog Rodney couldn't tell how far away it was from them.

"I heard it, too. Let's get moving." Sheppard advanced into the fog.

Rodney hurried after. "Why don't we rush into the creepy thick fog? I like being attacked by mutated monsters."

He rushed across the street and growling came from his right. A moment later, a body rammed into him, knocking him to the ground. He yelled and tried to push the creature off, but it sank its teeth into his left arm. His right hand inched toward his 9mm. He cried out in pain when the skinned dog shook its head.

"Sheppard!"

Rodney yanked his gun out of its holder and shot the monster in the head. It yelped and backed away, but didn't go down. He scrambled to his feet, but the dog leaped at him. Gunshots went off, startling him. The dog fell to the ground and didn't move.

Sheppard ran up to him. "Are you all right?"

"No, I'm not. It bit me."

Teyla lifted his arm. Blood seeped through the shreds of his jacket sleeve. Images of a shredded arm flashed through his mind. He shook his head to banish the pictures.

Teyla helped him take his jacket off. Pain sliced through him and he gritted his teeth. His gaze fell on his torn and bleeding arm. Blood dripped onto the ground.

She pulled out a roll of gauze, tore some off, and wrapped it around his arm.

"You're not going to turn into one of those, are you?"

Rodney stared at Sheppard. "Yeah. My skin is going to peel off and I'm going to run around on all fours."

"Then we better shoot you now." Ronon smirked.

"Funny." Rodney picked up his jacket.

"All right, let's get moving before something else comes out of this soup."

Rodney groaned, but followed the others through the town. Howling and growls chased after him. He did his best to ignore them, keeping his eyes on his friends racing through the fog.

Gunfire bounced off the mist. Fear washed over him and he picked up his pace. He came to a stop when he saw Sheppard and the others firing on another armless creature. Red light struck the monster and it went down.

Rodney took a step forward when a large mass struck him from behind. He fell face first to the ground. The weight left him and he rolled over. He came face to face with a large bloody dog. It growled, revealing its sharp fangs.

"This just isn't my day."

It roared in his face and he rolled to his feet, aiming his 9mm. He squeezed off two shots and the monster jumped back. It snarled and leaped at him. He ducked and swung the butt of his gun into the dog's side. It yelped and dropped to the ground.

"McKay!"

He ignored Sheppard's shout. He couldn't afford distractions. The dog growled and jumped toward him. He fired at the creature and fell onto his back. The beast yelped and fell to the ground. It didn't get up. He closed his eyes, breathing heavily.

"I so want out of here."

Sheppard appeared over him, holding out his hand. "We're almost there. Come on."

Grumbling, Rodney climbed to his feet with Sheppard's help. He took a deep breath and fell into step with the others.

~*~

"There it is."

Sheppard's words barely registered in Rodney's mind. Fatigue beat at him. He wanted to curl up into a ball and sleep.

_I don't want to see this place ever again, but I have a feeling I will._

They hurried past the jumper, across the field, and up to the DHD.

Sheppard aimed his P-90 in the direction of the forest. "Dial it!"

"Do need to tell me twice." Rodney punched in Atlantis's address. The gate activated much to his relief. The water rushed out and back in settling into a calm horizon.

He sent his IDC then hurried toward the gate. "Let's go."

A moment later, Rodney burst into the Gateroom. Bright lights and conversation filled the room. He smiled at the sight before him and relief rushed through him like white water.

"Oh, thank god."

Woolsey headed toward him, his eyebrows raised. "Dr. McKay, are you all right? What happened to your arm?"

Rodney looked at his arm. Blood turned the white wrappings red. His stomach churned, but he forced the nausea down.

The others stepped out of the horizon and the gate shut down, dimming the room slightly.

"Did you find what you're looking for?" Woolsey asked.

"A town full of monsters." Ronon strode away.

"Well, that's comforting." Woolsey turned back to the others. "Anything that'll stop Dr. McKay's nightmares?"

Rodney pulled the map out of his jacket. "They're not nightmares. Whatever the hell's happening is real. This map proves it. It's to a house in that town."

Woolsey stared at them. "And this house had the answers?"

Sheppard stepped forward. "We're not going to jump to conclusions. Everytime we think we found the answers, something else leads to another location."

"We're going to study the map and see where it takes us."

"You should take yourself to the infirmary and have Dr. Keller take a look at that."

"Heading there now." Rodney jogged through the room into the corridor.

~*~

Rodney entered the infirmary and tossed his jacket on a nearby empty bed. A nurse rounded a bed to check the vitals of the only patient in the place.

"Rodney!" Jennifer's voice startled him.

She hurried toward him, concern in her eyes. He offered her a smile as he lifted his arm.

"Dog bite. You should see the dog."

She gave him a look that said she didn't want to and examined his arm. She shook her head and pulled him to the nearest bed.

"Lie down on the bed. You probably need stitches."

Rodney sighed and climbed onto the bed. He lied down, his gaze focused on Jennifer. He wanted to forget the town and its strange creatures. He wanted it all to go away and get back to normal. Or as close to normal as he was used to.

Jennifer unwrapped the bandages and gasped at the sight. He looked down at the gashes and puncture wounds. He winced.

"What the hell attacked you?"

"A dog. A big dog."

"You shouldn't go back, Rodney. It's too dangerous."

He shook his head. "I have to go back. We found a map to a house and note saying it holds the answers. I want this to be over with and if I have to go back ten times in order to do so, I will."

Jennifer sighed. "Fine, but I'm not going to sew you up everytime you come back from there."

A bark of laughter escaped him. "Yeah, right."

He closed his eyes and let sleep take over.

Jennifer finished stitching Rodney's arm closed and sighed. She gazed at her patient and a wave of concern washed over her. She ran a hand through his hair then bent and kissed his forehead.

"How's he doing?"

Jennifer snapped to attention and spun. Sheppard raised an eyebrow and cocked his head to the side.

She cleared her throat and stepped away from the bed. "He's fine, just some stitches. He's exhausted. He says he needs to go back. I'm not sure I want him to go back."

Sheppard shook his head. "We'll go with him. Don't worry."

Jennifer strode toward her office. She didn't know if that'd be enough, but it'd have to do. She only hoped he wouldn't come back to her worse.

"Do you think the house is the answer?" She turned to face the Colonel.

Sheppard shrugged. "I don't know, but at this point, I'm willing to look into anything. You should see that town, Jennifer. It's nightmare fuel."

"Thanks, but no. I get enough nightmares thank you very much."

"Let me know when he wakes up." Sheppard left the infirmary.

Jennifer leaned against an empty bed and closed her eyes. _I wish I could help you, Rodney._

She pushed from the bed and strode toward Rodney's bed. She went through his jacket and pulled out a map. She unfolded it and placed it on the bed.

_Who'd make a map of their house?_

Made of straight lines in pen, the map held nothing of interest. Nothing screamed out at her.

_How can this house hold the answers when this map doesn't even point it out?_

She shook her head and put the map back in the jacket pocket. Sighing, she turned her gaze back to Rodney. She reached out and ran her fingers through his hair. He looked so peaceful, she hoped whatever horrors he faced wouldn't invade his dreams.

"Sleep well, Rodney."


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen**

Rodney stared at the map in aggravation. Not a single note or mark marred the paper. He'd even flipped it over, hoping something was written on the back. Nothing.

_At least, we won't get lost in the house. _

He shook his head and shoved the map away from him. He sat back in his chair and looked around the briefing room. Sheppard and Woolsey stared at him with identical expressions of expectation.

"What are you expecting? There's nothing on the map that points to the location of all the answers that note mentioned."

"Then I can't let you go, Dr. McKay." Woolsey stood. "That place is too dangerous to send you again."

Rodney narrowed his eyes. "With the way things are going now, I'm going to end up there anyway. I go there in my sleep, damn it."

"I'm sorry, but I can't afford to send you on a wild goose chase. You are restricted from gate travel except on missions."

Rodney pushed himself to his feet. "This is a mission! If I don't find a way to stop this, it's going to continue."

Woolsey shook his head, the man's eyes held both determination and compassion. "My mind is made up. You're not going back there. I'm sorry."

Rodney couldn't believe what he heard. He stared after Woolsey, disbelief rooting him to the floor. Visions of monsters and blood flashed through his mind. He sank back down into his seat and stared at the wall.

"I'm a dead man."

"Don't talk like that." Sheppard's voice startled him. He hadn't expected the Colonel to stick around.

"You heard him. We can't go back there. You have no idea what I'm going through."

"I think I have an idea if that town is anything to go by."

Rodney shook his head and put his face in his hands. After all that's happened, it came down to this. The dreams would continue until they killed him. He knew it'd happen, it was only a matter of time.

"You can't give up, Rodney. You've made it this far."

He glared at Sheppard. "That's because I believed there was a way to stop it. Now, I'm not so sure."

"Since when have you let anything Woolsey said stop you?"

"Oh, I don't know, I was thinking about maybe I should start."

Sheppard rolled his eyes and grabbed Rodney's arms, lifting him out of his chair. He shoved the Colonel away, glaring at him.

"You need to get your head on straight." Sheppard pointed at him, his finger inches from Rodney's nose. "We're going back there and we're going to find a way to bring an end to this."

Rodney folded his arms across his chest. "How? I'm sure Woolsey is going to have every departure documented."

Sheppard smiled. A mixture of dread and excitement bubbled inside Rodney. He knew what the Colonel had in mind before he even said it.

"We're going at night when there's hardly anyone in the control room."

Rodney sighed. "I don't really need to sleep."

Sheppard slapped him on the arm. "That's the spirit. I'll contact you when it's time."

"Great."

~*~

Rodney took a bite of sandwich Jennifer had brought him several hours ago. She'd missed him at dinner and came down to check on him. Thanks to her presence, he'd almost forgotten Silent Hill and the torture it hurled at him.

He had feeling she knew what he planned. The concern in her eyes burned into him. She never asked him why he wore his black offworld clothes or had his P-90 waiting in the corner. He told her anyway.

"I figured you wouldn't let Woolsey stop you."

"If I have to go back there to get answers, I will."

She ran her hand through his hair. "Just don't get yourself killed."

He wanted her to stay, but she'd been called back to the infirmary. He watched her go, wishing to go with her and forget all this.

He stared at the computer screen, waiting for Sheppard's call. He read through the Ancient's journal about his experience, hoping to find something within the words.

_I wish I hadn't dropped that diary. It was more forth coming than this._

Most of the Ancient's journal remarked on the experiments he'd performed on the monsters. He'd recovered from the one he performed with lights and moved on to something even more dangerous in Rodney's mind; following one creature to see where it went.

_Can we spell idiot? I knew you could._

Rodney read through it and nearly dropped his sandwich. He read it again, not believing it.

_I heard the scrapping again and decided to find what made that sound. I followed it, almost thinking it came from the walls. I ended up deep in the city. I turned a corner and there it was. Even though it walked away from me into the darkness, I knew it towered over me. _

_It dragged something enormous behind it and I knew that was what made the scraping noise. I have no idea what it was, but I didn't follow it any further. I turned and headed back up here. Whatever that thing was, it's not anything I want to see again. _

Rodney shivered and turned away from the screen. To know something even worse lurked in the darkness of the bizarre Atlantis made him want to end this even more. He had to get to that house and figure out what it held, if anything.

_I just hope it's not a goose chase. _

"Rodney, you there?" Sheppard's voice in his ear made him jump.

He slapped his earpiece. "I'm here."

"We're ready to go. We'll meet you at the Gateroom. Sheppard out."

Rodney closed his eyes and sighed. _Here we go. Moment of truth time._

He grabbed his pack and a new jacket then headed toward the Gateroom. Only one person manned the controls when he arrived. Sheppard waved his hand to get the man's attention.

"Dial it."

"Dialing."

Rodney smirked. "How'd you get him to co-operate?"

Sheppard shrugged. "Excitement during a boring shift."

"Oh, yeah. Dialing one address is _so_ exciting."

Blue water rushed out into the room then retreated leaving a puddle within the ring. Rodney took a deep breath and followed the others into the gate.

Once on the other side, through the fog, he spotted the jumper sitting where they'd left it. Given some time, he knew he'd be able to fix it. Right now, there wasn't any time.

"Let's go and keep your eyes open."

Ronon spun his gun. "Just tell me where to aim."

"How about anything that moves that's not us?" Rodney snapped.

Ronon gave him a look, but Rodney ignored him. He couldn't keep his eyes off the jumper. He aimed his P-90, his heart racing. A moment later, static broke the silence.

"Nice. Right off the bat." Sheppard raised his gun.

They drew along side the jumper and the static grew louder. Snarling came from within. The creature roared and burst out of the jumper.

"Not another damn dog!" Rodney opened fire before the thing even had a chance to attack them.

It yelped and fell to the ground. Breathing heavily, he looked at the others. They stared at him as if he'd grown another head.

Exasperated, he spread his arms out. "Oh, come on! Don't tell me you're not sick of seeing them."

Sheppard cleared his throat and motioned with his head to follow. "Let's go."

Sighing, Rodney trudged behind Sheppard. Silence reigned in the forest. Nothing moved. Tension grew thick and Rodney expected a creature to attack them at any moment. He held his gun at the ready, aiming it at surrounding vegetation.

The fog grew thicker the closer they came to the town.

_I can't see a damn thing. _

Excitement and dread warred within him, making him a bundle of nerves. It took all he had not to fire his gun just to relieve the tension.

_When is the end of this? We should have been there by now._

To keep from getting lost, he focused on the path before him. He saw the turn in the trail and looked up. Sheppard wasn't in front of him. He spun around only to be met with fog.

"Sheppard!" His voice echoed against the mist. "Ronon, Teyla!"

His heart sped and he turned again, hoping it was only the fog keeping him from seeing his friends. He picked up his pace in case the others had walked ahead.

"Sheppard!"

The mist cleared and the town appeared before him. He stood in the silence, searching for movement on the streets. Nothing moved. He looked behind him, but no one was there.

_Damn it. Did I fall asleep? _

Taking a deep breath, Rodney stepped into Silent Hill. He took out of the map of the house and tried to determine where it was with the little information on it. Going by the shape, he guessed the house was a Victorian.

_There can't be that many house with that style in this town. At least, I hope not. _

Sighing, he shoved the map back in his jacket pocket and headed down the street on his right. The house couldn't be far from the church they'd explored.

_I wonder where the others went. Am I dreaming again? _

He didn't want to know. He wanted to get this over with and return to a normal life.

_I just hope that house does have the answers. _

Static blared from his radio. He stopped. He raised his P-90 and turned in a slow circle. His pulse raced and he narrowed his eyes to gaze into the fog.

"McKay, where the hell are you?" Rodney jumped at Sheppard's voice.

He pressed his earpiece. "Are you trying to give me a heart attack? I'm in the town. Where the hell are you?"

"In the town. Teyla said you disappeared."

Rodney rolled his eyes. "So did you. I'm heading toward the house, taking the same street we took to get to the church."

"We must be on the other side of town then, cause nothing is familiar over here."

_Great. _

"Head toward the church, I'll meet you there."

"Good. Sheppard out."

Rodney ran a hand through his hair. He wanted to kick something, even scream. He hated this town. Grumbling, he stomped down the street toward the church, cursing the entire way.

"Rodney."

He spun, gun aimed. The fog wrapped its fingers around the buildings and down the alleys. He didn't see anything. His radio didn't emit static to tell him a monster was near.

"Stupid town." He turned back around and continued down the street.

"Rodney." The voice sounded closer, almost beside him.

"Where are you?" He turned in a circle.

He came back around and nearly fell backward. Elizabeth stood before him, her hands folded in front of her. Dressed in her familiar uniform, she smiled at him as if everything appeared normal. She stepped toward him.

"Elizabeth." He breathed her name.

"We don't have time, Rodney. Follow me."

He narrowed his eyes. "Follow you where?"

"To the house. Come on." She grabbed his hand and dragged him down the street.

"How are you here?"

"I'm here for the same reason you are."

He yanked on her hand, pulling her to a stop. Surprise clouded her green eyes. Green eyes he wanted to see again for years. He shook his head to clear it. He couldn't afford a distraction.

"What reason is that?"

She smiled and ran a hand through his hair. "You'll see when we get to the house."

She pulled him along again and he had no choice, but to follow. He only hoped the others would arrive at the same time to see Elizabeth. Maybe then he'd know he wasn't insane.

The mist cleared some more and Rodney took in the church looming over them. Stone steps led up to the dark building. Memories of what he saw within sent shivers coursing through his body.

He tore his gaze from the church and spotted his friends hurrying toward him. He waved his hand and looked over at Elizabeth. No one stood beside him. His heart sank as he blinked in astonishment.

_She was there a moment ago. Where the hell did she go? I didn't hear footsteps?_

Rodney stared at the church, but he hadn't heard a door open or close.

_Had she even been there?_

"There you are." Sheppard's voice caught his attention. He looked over at his friend, relief washing over him.

"About time. I was getting bored."

Sheppard raised an eyebrow. "In this town? Come on. I think I saw the house that map is to."

"Finally. Lead the way."

Rodney stared at the church. He hoped it'd be the last time he ever laid eyes on it.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen**

The house loomed over them in its eerie splendor. Boards covered the windows and the door hung on its last hinge. Weeds took over the yard, choking any flowers that tried to grow. A slight breeze blew through the remaining leaves on an ancient oak tree. Rodney shivered and brought his jacket closer around him.

Sheppard cleared it throat. "There it is."

Rodney glared at the Colonel, but refrained from saying anything.

"Let's go in there and get this over with." Ronon stalked across the lawn and up the wooden stairs. The creak of the stairs blasted through the silence.

Rodney followed. "I could have done without that sound."

Dogs howled and barked, destroying the quiet of the area. He jumped, his gun at the ready. Not a single dog charged.

He rolled his eyes and continued across the yard. "I'm going to celebrate when this is over."

"You and me both." Sheppard headed up the steps.

The howls continued all around them, but Rodney ignored the noise. As far as he knew, the dogs were down the street and around the corner.

_Sound does carry. Especially in this quiet. _

Ronon kicked the door off its last hinge and Rodney flinched. He gave the taller man a dark look, but Ronon ignored him.

"What does the map say?" Sheppard asked from the doorway.

"I doubt much of anything." Rodney brought out the map and opened it. The map was as clear as when they found it. He turned it around and showed them. "See? Nothing."

Sheppard snatched it from his fingers. He stared at the paper as if it held all the secrets.

"Let's check the library." Sheppard stepped into the house, map in hand.

Rodney rolled his eyes and followed Ronon into the building. The floorboards creaked under their feet. The scent of mildew crept into his nose. It tickled under the smell.

"This way." Sheppard headed through the foyer and to the right.

Old paintings hung on the dirty walls. A worn runner muted their footsteps through the hallway. The squeak of a door opening alerted Rodney to the left of the corridor.

"Found the library." Sheppard stepped into the room, his gun aimed.

"Goody for you."

His radio went off and he stared at it. What could possibly be heading toward them in this tight space? The hallway barely allowed two people to walk side by side.

"Inside! Now!" Ronon grabbed his arm and jerked him forward then pushed him into the room. Teyla rushed in after him. Ronon slammed the door and pressed his shoulder against it, keeping it from opening.

A metallic scent overpowered any other smell in the room. Rodney breathed through his mouth and gazed at his surroundings. Sheppard stood near a large decaying desk. It probably looked beautiful once when it was newer. He could almost see a wealthy man in a suit and tie sitting behind it.

He turned his gaze to the walls lined with bookshelves. Most didn't have books while others held rotted and torn tomes. He went to one of the shelves and pulled a book off the shelf. It crumbled through his fingers. The scent of rotten paper permeated. He coughed and stepped back.

"There has to be something here." Rodney stepped to another bookshelf and found a row of books lining a shelf. Raising an eyebrow, he pulled a volume back. A click resonated through the room. He stepped back, his gun aimed.

"What did you find?" Sheppard came to stand beside him.

"My guess is a secret door."

The entire bookshelf slid to the side revealing a staircase leading up. He looked at Sheppard, who shrugged.

"Guess we're going up." Sheppard turned on his light and headed up the staircase.

"Yay." Rodney shook his head and followed.

The door slammed behind them.

Rodney closed his eyes against the dread welling inside him. He took a deep breath to calm his racing pulse. The stairwell smelled stifling as if it hadn't been opened in decades. Cold wrapped its icy fingers around him, but he did his best to ignore it. He focused on climbing the stairs to where ever it led.

"Welcome to the attic." Sheppard's amused voice traveled down toward him.

Rodney took the remaining stairs two at a time and bounded into the attic. Cobwebs hung in the corners, dull even against his flashlight. He moved his light across the vast space, hitting boxes and old junk piled up everywhere.

"Split up and search everything. McKay, you're with me."

Rodney rolled his eyes. "Lucky me."

Ronon and Teyla took the opposite side of the area while Rodney followed Sheppard into the depths of the other. He swung his flashlight around the room, banishing the shadows into the rafters.

A bookcase gathered dust in a far corner of the attic. He smacked Sheppard on the shoulder and pointed in that direction.

"You search that while I check out this desk." Sheppard pointed his light at an old broken desk.

"I'm not racing you on who finds something faster."

Sheppard smirked and headed for the desk. Rodney sighed and stepped toward the bookcase. The bookcase held five shelves, the end of one shelf slid onto another. A pile of tomes sat on the third shelf. He shone his light onto the books. Most of the spines were hard to decipher, but he could make out the others. One caught his attention.

He pulled the small tome off the shelf. "Found another journal."

"Take a look at this."

Rodney stepped toward the desk and Sheppard tossed a picture onto the surface. Rodney turned the picture toward him. Elizabeth stared back at him and his breath caught. She stood in her office back on Atlantis, a smile gracing her lips. She wore her red and grey jacket and her hair curled around her ears.

"This is from when we first arrived. I don't remember anyone going around taking pictures."

"I'm sure someone had a camera. It was a huge deal."

He shook his head. "What's it doing here?"

"I have no idea, but it's creepy. What'd you find?"

Rodney couldn't take his gaze off the picture. He wanted to know what it was doing here and how it got here. An ache in his chest near his heart demanded he find out. If nothing else, it was proof Elizabeth was here somewhere, waiting for him to find her.

Sighing, he opened the journal. "April 23rd. I saw the house. The one she talked about all the time; the one she was terrified of. I went inside and saw her. She stood in the upstairs bedroom, staring at me with accusing eyes. I tried to talk to her, but she ran out of the room. I followed her, but I couldn't find her. What was she doing in a house that frightened her in the first place?"

Sheppard turned Elizabeth's picture toward him. "It seems a lot of people come here for some strange reason."

Rodney cast his gaze to the picture. "You think she came here?"

"I don't know, Rodney, but there has to be a reason why this picture's here."

"Sheppard, we found something." Ronon's voice boomed across the attic.

Sheppard sighed and aimed his flashlight toward the direction of Ronon's voice. "Let's go see what Chewie found."

Rodney snatched the picture off the desk, stuff it and the journal into his backpack then followed Sheppard across the creaky floorboards.

_I wonder if the house mentioned is this one. _

"What is it, Ronon?" Sheppard's light fell on Ronon, who stood near what appeared to be a body cropped up against the wall. The light moved up onto the wall revealing blood splatter. "Nevermind."

"So that's what's stinking up the place." Rodney stared at the body. Skinned and decaying, the corpse sat in a pool of blood. He couldn't tell how long the remains had been there or the gender.

"It's holding something in its hand." Ronon bent toward the carcass and forced open the hand. He stood and handed a bundle of mess to Sheppard.

Sheppard peeled the wad open to reveal a key.

"What the hell is that?"

"It's a key, Rodney."

Rodney stared at the ceiling. "I know it's a key. What's it doing in that thing's hand and why?"

"The better question is what is it to?" Teyla stepped forward, her gaze serious and taking both Rodney and Sheppard.

Sheppard tossed the key then caught it. "Let's find out."

"I'd suggest an upstairs bedroom." Rodney mentioned.

"Because of a journal?"

"He found another journal?" Ronon's voice was full of disbelief.

Rodney glared at him. "Yes, I found another journal."

Ronon sighed and rolled his eyes. "Don't lose it."

"Knock it off, both of you. We need to keep our eyes out for those creatures. Arguing is going to get us killed."

"John's right." Teyla's soft voice held a tinge of reprimand. "We need to keep the upper hand if we're going to get through this."

Rodney sighed. "Yes, Mom."

They hurried down the stairs and back into the library. Ronon drew his sword and yanked open the door. Blackness greeted them. He looked in one direction then the other. He turned and shrugged.

"Keep your eyes and ears open." Sheppard took the lead down the hallway toward the front of the house.

The staircase took up the right side of the space. The front door stood in front of them. The lights danced over the rotting wallpaper and paintings.

Rodney looked closer at one painting and a chill came over him. A man stood surrounded by trees, light from the moon shone down on the figure. The landscape itself wasn't what chilled him. It was the sense of complete isolation surrounded by the unknown. He shivered and turned away from the art.

He followed the others up the stairs, his footsteps silenced by the carpet. A hallway stretched out before him, doors on both sides of the corridor broke up the walls.

_One of these doors can be opened with that key. If any of them are locked. _

Sheppard moved toward a door on the left and inserted the key. The door remained locked.

"One down." He strode to the next one, tried the doorknob and pushed it open. "This one is unlocked."

Their radios went off again and Rodney's pulse increased. He turned around, but nothing ran up the stairs. An explosion jolted him back around. The locked door on the left blew apart in a wave of wood and splinters. Everyone ducked, most of the debris hit the wall then fell onto the group.

A roar came from the room. Rodney aimed his gun toward the doorway, while Sheppard and the others filed into the room the Colonel recently opened. Rodney inched in that direction, hoping not to draw attention to himself.

The beast stepped into the doorway and Rodney gagged. The thing looked more like a bag of flesh attached to a pair of legs. A stench he couldn't identify rolled off the creature. He coughed to prevent from throwing up. The monster growled and turned toward him.

_Great. The thing has perfect hearing._

The bag stepped into the hallway and Rodney pressed himself against the wall, trying to make himself smaller. He slid toward the doorway where the others waited.

Sheppard poked his head out. "What the hell are you doing? Get in here."

The monster roared and charged. Startled, Rodney fumbled with his gun then opened fire. Sheppard added to the barrage and the beast stumbled back. It slammed into the wall then dropped to the floor.

Rodney leaned against the wall and closed his eyes. He released a breath in relief.

"Now, will you get in here?"

Rodney cracked an eye open and stared at Sheppard. "Why? That's not the room the key goes to."

Sheppard grabbed his arm and pulled him into the room. He stumbled, but caught his balance. He straightened and took in the room. A large bed stood to his right, a dresser to his left. A bay window was placed across from him. The carpet squished under his feet. He winced at the sound, not wanting to know what caused it. His own imagination proved worse.

Rodney moved to the dresser and spotted a piece of paper. It seemed to have been ripped out of a book. He picked it up and recognized the writing. It belonged to the writer of the journal in his backpack.

_May 16__th__._

_I've been locked in this house for days. I've tried to find the way out to no avail. I found this key, but can't locate the room it goes to. Something tells me the house or maybe even the town doesn't want me to leave._

"I think that body in the attic was the writer of the journal."

"What makes you think that?" Ronon folded his arms across his chest and leaned against the dresser.

Rodney raised the paper. "This. It's a piece of his journal. He couldn't find the way out."

Sheppard raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Did he try the front door?"

"If he did, it either didn't open for him or he couldn't find it."

"What are you talking about?" Ronon's disbelieving voice irritated him.

"Going through this building has been fairly easy, but what if it wasn't for this guy? What if it changed?"

Sheppard snapped his fingers. "Like that hallway in the church."

"Exactly." Excitement bubbled inside him with the knowledge someone knew what he was talking about. "If that church could change itself why not this house or any other building in this messed up town."

"Are you saying the door to that key disappeared?"

Rodney smiled at Teyla. "It's possible. It could've turned up somewhere else in this house. Maybe that's why he went into the attic."

"And ended up dead." Ronon still sounded skeptical.

"We didn't see any doors up there," Teyla said.

"Then let's concentrate on finding one down here first." Sheppard turned and headed back into the hallway.

Rodney sighed, shook his head then stepped into the corridor. The doorway the creature burst through now revealed another bedroom, this one smaller. He caught a glimpse of a twin bed and a dresser, both corroding from age and neglect. He tore his gaze away and continued down the hall.

Sheppard stood in front of a door to the right. He inserted the key and a click announced the correct pairing. Smiling, he turned the knob and pushed the door open. Raising his P-90, he stepped into the room.

Rodney stepped into the room and into confusion. Covered in rust and a red substance he hoped wasn't blood, the room stood empty save for a dresser. A single candle resting upon the dresser lit the room. He blinked and looked at Sheppard, hoping he saw the same thing.

"What is this?"

_Oh, good, I'm not crazy. _

"Was this what you were talking about changing?"

The door slammed behind them, startling them. Rodney stared at the door. It resembled a rusted gate than an actual door.

"Ok, let's find a way out of here."

Rodney turned in a slow circle. He didn't see another doorway anywhere. Not even a window graced the walls. "Any suggestions?"

"Kick the door." Ronon strode toward the doorway and slammed his foot into it. He yelled in pain and stumbled back, hopping on his left foot.

Rodney narrowed his eyes in annoyance. "I don't think that's going to work."

"At least I'm trying something instead of standing around." Ronon stepped toward him, towering over him.

"Really, you're trying intimidation after what I've seen?"

"Shut up, both of you," Sheppard barked. He let out a breath full of frustration. "Let's see what's in that dresser."

Teyla opened the top drawer and rummaged through the decayed and blood soaked clothes. She shook her head and moved down to the next one. She tried all of them, finding nothing until she reached the last one. She yanked it open and a large insect flew out of it. She cried out, throwing herself to the side.

"Crap!" Rodney aimed his gun, but Sheppard proved faster. A bang ricocheted through the room and the bug dropped to the floor.

"God, I hate bugs."

"Really? I couldn't tell."

Rodney felt Sheppard glare on him. "Don't start, McKay."

"I found something." Teyla brought out a large plaque. She stepped into the center of the room.

A large circular symbol engraved the middle of the copper plaque. Teyla wiped off the dust on the tablet to reveal writing.

"To reveal the secrets place where needed most."

Rodney flung his arms out. "Oh, that's a lot of help."

"Hang on a minute." Sheppard took the plaque from Teyla. "It's obviously a clue to finding a way out of here."

Rodney rolled his eyes, but his natural curiosity and need to prove his genius had him looking at the tablet. He took it from Sheppard and glanced at the door. It was too obvious to be the answer. He strode toward the wall by the dresser. He moved toward his left, studying the texture of the wall. It resembled bleeding flesh too much for his liking, but he pushed it to the back of his mind. He needed to find a slot or something where this thing would fit.

He finally came across an area divided on two sides by rusted metal bars. Smirking, he lifted the plaque and placed it on the wall. He heard a click and stepped back. The fleshy wall dissolved to reveal another room. He turned toward his friends and smiled.

"Show off." Sheppard patted him on the back and stepped into the room.

"You're just jealous I thought of it first."

"I'm full of envy."

Rodney strode into the room and stopped in his tracks. His stomach plummeted at the sight which greeted him.

Elizabeth stood in the middle of the blood splattered room, a smile gracing her lips. She appeared just as Rodney remembered her. A light from nowhere bathed her in brightness. She was an angel standing in hell.

"Oh, my God." Sheppard said it all.

Elizabeth nodded her head in greeting. "It's about time you got here."


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter Sixteen**

Rodney blinked. "You were expecting us?"

What he really wanted to ask was where the hell had she been and how did she get in this room?

Elizabeth smiled and circled the room. "I was expecting you, Rodney."

"Why? What is all this?"

She looked at him, the smile still on her face. She stepped toward him and his heart raced. He stared at her, holding his breath. Would she disappear before his eyes again? Why was she here?

She placed a hand on his face. "It's hell, Rodney. It reads your fears and brings them to life."

"I've never dreamed of any of the things out there!"

She shrugged and circled the room again. "It doesn't matter. We need to get going."

Rodney stepped in front of her, stopping her pacing. He stared into her eyes, so green and beautiful. He felt pulled into them. "Where? What do you mean?"

She smiled again and it unnerved him. A strange light gleamed in the depths he so admired.

"You'll see." She motioned for him to follow and marched across the room. "I've wanted to show you this since you arrived."

Rodney looked over his shoulder, pleading with the others. They followed him, concern in their eyes.

"Elizabeth, wait." Rodney stumbled, trying to keep up.

She opened a door. The metallic creak echoed through the space. She pulled him into another room and the door slammed behind him. He turned, startled. Darkness engulfed him.

"What about the others?"

"They don't need to be present for this. They can head back."

Rodney yanked her to a stop. A dim light glowed not far away, revealing an angry spark in her eyes. It didn't faze him.

"Open that door, Elizabeth. Now."

Elizabeth smiled and caressed his face. The warmth from her hand spread through him. He closed his eyes and leaned into her touch.

"They'll be fine, Rodney. I only need you."

He breathed in her scent, taking it deep inside him. He wanted to take her in his arms and never leave. Was this her plan?

"You didn't need all this. You could have just returned to Atlantis."

"Not for what I have planned."

He opened his eyes and she stepped into the darkness. His eyes narrowed he followed her. Every nerve in his body told him to leave, go back to his friends and never return to this town. His body had other ideas, though and refused to listen to his instincts.

The dim lighting grew brighter revealing blood soaked walls and bodies hanging from the ceiling. He stopped in his tracks, his pulse skyrocketing.

"What the hell is all this?"

The skinned bodies dripped blood onto the floor creating growing puddles. Bile rose, but he swallowed to prevent it from escaping. He took a deep breath and turned his attention to Elizabeth. She stood under the light, its glow bathing her in white.

"This is the result of those who were overwhelmed by their guilt and couldn't see how to escape."

Rodney shook his head. "What are you talking about?"

"You're here because of guilt, Rodney."

"Come again?" A cold chill ran down his spine. Was that why he was here? How did she know? How could she know?

Elizabeth stepped toward him. "You're feeling guilty because you couldn't save me."

His jaw dropped and the cold chill became freezing. Shaking his head, he backed away from her in disbelief.

"You couldn't save me, Rodney. It's been eating you up inside ever since, you just didn't know it."

He backed up across the room, but bumped into something. He turned to look up at a skinned body. It turned slowly on large hooks. It rotated to face him and revealed a woman staring back at him with blank eyes. Rodney stumbled back, shock sending his pulse pounding.

"Why are you doing this?"

"Because you need it."

He turned to face her, but she wasn't there. He stepped into the middle of the room and turned in a slow circle.

"Elizabeth?"

He cursed and headed for the door. He yanked on it, but it didn't budge. He kicked it then spun on his heel. He marched across the room, but didn't see another door. He stared at the blood covered walls, despair creeping in on him.

"You couldn't save me." Elizabeth's voice whispered in his ear. He spun in that direction, but saw nothing.

Memories of trying to save Elizabeth flashed through his mind. He'd been successful in saving her life, but lost her on a mission. A few months later, he'd thought she'd been returned to him only to prove she wasn't the real one. He'd been more than willing to accept her back, but she'd been killed trying to save them from replicators.

He closed his eyes as more memories poured into his mind. He'd tried to save her, but something happened each time to prevent him from doing so. It was almost as if the universe didn't want her in his life. It tore at him, ripping into his heart to show him where he failed.

"Elizabeth." Rodney's whisper echoed in the silence of the room. He dropped to his knees and placed his head in his hands. "I tried."

"And you still couldn't save me."

Rodney looked up only to face the empty room. A trimmer rippled under him, growing in size and power. The room shook, tossing him to the floor. His face landed in a squishy substance. He pushed himself back to his knees and stared up at the bodies swinging from the ceiling. A snap resonated through the room followed by a thud.

He scrambled to his feet, spreading his arms out to keep his balance. A movement from the center of the room caught his attention. He stared in amazement as the body climbed to its feet. Bones cracked and skin stretched as the body grew in size. The creature stepped toward him and his pulse sped.

"My God."

It continued to grow in height until it grabbed the bodies beside it and ripped them from the ceiling. The scream resounding from the creature pierced his ears. He closed his eyes and covered his ears, but the scream continued to bounce around his head. He fell to his knees and cried out in pain.

"Stop it!"

The shriek stopped, but Rodney was afraid to move. He wanted this nightmare to end. He wanted to wake up in his bed back on Atlantis and all this be a bad dream.

The floor rumbled and he looked up, up at the monster towering above him. His stomach dropped and his eyes widened. The bloody skinned creature stared down at him with green eyes.

He scrambled away from it then realized he had a gun. He aimed his P-90 at the being and opened fire. It screamed and swiped at him. He tumbled out of the way, rolled to his knees and continued to fire. It followed him unfazed by the bullets slamming into its body. It shrieked and took a swing at him again. He rolled away and climbed to his feet.

The creature stepped toward him, stalking him. He moved around the room, trying to get away from the beast at the same time attempting to get a better lock on it. He positioned himself between two bodies still hanging from the ceiling. He aimed at the creature's head and pulled the trigger. The creature screamed and stumbled back. He smiled and continued with the onslaught.

The monster swung, hit the body he stood beside, and sent him flying across the room. He hit the ground hard, knocking the wind from him. He moaned, pain shooting through him. He took a deep breath and winced.

Rodney opened his eyes, saw the monster move toward him, then pushed himself to his feet. He aimed his P-90, but the gun clicked. Cursing, he tossed it aside and went for his 9mm.

"Lot of good this is going to do." He aimed it up at the monster, but the creature grabbed him as if he were a doll. He stared into the thing's green eyes and his heart sank. Grief tore through him as images of Elizabeth flashed before him.

The creature's mouth fell open showing rows of jagged sharp teeth. Self-preservation shoved the grief away and sent his body into overdrive. He aimed his weapon at the monster's face and opened fire. It screamed and dropped him. He landed hard on his legs. A bone snapped in his leg and he cried out. He curled around it and took several deep breathes. The monster screamed above him, but he didn't care. He couldn't move and he wanted this to be over.

"I'm sorry, Elizabeth."

The screaming stopped and Rodney chanced to look up. The beast stood above him, it long fingers flexing, ready to grab him. He groaned and rolled over onto his back. He aimed his gun at the fiend's face and opened fire. It stumbled back, lost its balance and fell on its back.

"Ha! Take that." He pushed himself to his feet and hobbled over to the monster. It attempted to get to its feet, but he emptied his weapon into the thing's head. Blood sprayed everywhere, but he ignored it. The noise stopped, leaving the room in silence.

Rodney stared at the creature, waiting for it to move. A click echoed through the room, but he didn't hear it. He didn't move. He continued to stare at the creature, images of Elizabeth flowing in his mind.

"I miss you."

A hand fell on his shoulder and he jumped. He spun, aiming his gun.

"Whoa! Rodney, it's me. John. What the hell happened in here?"

Rodney blinked. Sheppard stood in front of him, his hands in the air. Teyla and Ronon stood behind Sheppard with equal expression of concern on their faces. He relaxed and lowered his gun. He closed his eyes, releasing a long sigh.

"It was Elizabeth."

"We know."

He looked at Sheppard. "What?"

"Let's get out of here." Sheppard patted him on the back and pushed him toward the open door. He stumbled and gasped at the pain shooting up his leg. Sheppard placed Rodney's arm around his neck and helped him toward the door.

"Let's erase this place's address from the database. I don't want to ever come back."

Sheppard laughed. "You'll get no argument from me."

Rodney looked back at the door he'd just come through. The body of the monster was gone and the bloody room disappeared before his eyes. The door slammed causing all of them to jump. They stared at the door, but Rodney had enough.

"Let's get out of here before something else shows up."

"No problem there." Sheppard led the way through the house back to the street.

The fog hadn't lifted, but commented. Monsters didn't attack them as they made their way to the forest. Rodney didn't question why, he was just glad to be free of this town.

END


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